CMS pulse oximeters are the little medical devices that they plug onto your fingertip whenever you go to the Emergency Room or before an operation. Sometimes they put them onto the earlobes. In tiny babies, they use a foot. The purpose of the device is to measure the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen. Generally, this number should always be at 95% or higher.
It isn't obvious how a non-invasive instrument can measure with any degree of accuracy something down to the molecular level. Without getting too technical, oximetry works on the principle that different substances absorb light differently. Two different wavelengths of light are passed through the patient and the instrument is able to determine the absorbance, and therefore the concentration, of oxygen in pulsating arterial blood.
While this is an excellent way of screening sick people from really sick people, a more accurate measurement is obtained by measuring oxygen directly from arterial blood. This is important in places like intensive care units or when a patient is under anesthesia having an operation.
Jamming a needle into an artery, which are by design very thick, is very painful for the patient. Because of this, it is not routinely done unless it is really necessary. The feeling of having a needle pierce into an artery has been compared to having a sharp implement poking directly into a bone.
A pulse oximeter may also be used for research purposes, for example, during sleeping studies. These investigations are performed when a patient is suspected to have a condition called sleep apnea. People with this type of disorder are unable to breathe, sometimes for dangerously long periods, while they are sleeping. This can result in stroke, heart attack or even death. At best, it can leave people foggy headed and tired the next day.
There are two basic forms of sleep apnea; neurological (or central) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Of these, OSA is the more common and the easiest to treat. Some people need surgery to correct an anatomical abnormality, while others are easier to treat with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or wearing an oral device, prescribed by an oral surgeon, while thy sleep.
Central, or neurological sleep apnea, is less common and harder to treat than OSA. Instead of stopping the breathing process, the brain doesn't attempt it. There is often a serious condition underlying neurological OSA that affects the brain stem. This is the brain area that is responsible for breathing and heart rate. Neurological sleep apnea can happen by itself or in combination with OSA.
Anybody can be diagnosed with either form of sleep apnea. The principal risk factors are age over 40, obesity and being male. This is a particularly heart-breaking condition in young babies, who can sometimes stop breathing for periods as long as 20s. This is frightening for new parents. Fortunately, alarms are available that can sound an alert when the baby has an apnea episode. CMS pulse oximeters may also be purchased for use at home for both adult and child use.
It isn't obvious how a non-invasive instrument can measure with any degree of accuracy something down to the molecular level. Without getting too technical, oximetry works on the principle that different substances absorb light differently. Two different wavelengths of light are passed through the patient and the instrument is able to determine the absorbance, and therefore the concentration, of oxygen in pulsating arterial blood.
While this is an excellent way of screening sick people from really sick people, a more accurate measurement is obtained by measuring oxygen directly from arterial blood. This is important in places like intensive care units or when a patient is under anesthesia having an operation.
Jamming a needle into an artery, which are by design very thick, is very painful for the patient. Because of this, it is not routinely done unless it is really necessary. The feeling of having a needle pierce into an artery has been compared to having a sharp implement poking directly into a bone.
A pulse oximeter may also be used for research purposes, for example, during sleeping studies. These investigations are performed when a patient is suspected to have a condition called sleep apnea. People with this type of disorder are unable to breathe, sometimes for dangerously long periods, while they are sleeping. This can result in stroke, heart attack or even death. At best, it can leave people foggy headed and tired the next day.
There are two basic forms of sleep apnea; neurological (or central) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Of these, OSA is the more common and the easiest to treat. Some people need surgery to correct an anatomical abnormality, while others are easier to treat with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or wearing an oral device, prescribed by an oral surgeon, while thy sleep.
Central, or neurological sleep apnea, is less common and harder to treat than OSA. Instead of stopping the breathing process, the brain doesn't attempt it. There is often a serious condition underlying neurological OSA that affects the brain stem. This is the brain area that is responsible for breathing and heart rate. Neurological sleep apnea can happen by itself or in combination with OSA.
Anybody can be diagnosed with either form of sleep apnea. The principal risk factors are age over 40, obesity and being male. This is a particularly heart-breaking condition in young babies, who can sometimes stop breathing for periods as long as 20s. This is frightening for new parents. Fortunately, alarms are available that can sound an alert when the baby has an apnea episode. CMS pulse oximeters may also be purchased for use at home for both adult and child use.
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