A pulse oximeter is a medical device that indirectly measures the oxygen saturation of a patient’s blood (as opposed to measuring oxygen saturation directly through a blood sample) and changes in blood volume in the skin, producing a photoplethysmograph. It is often attached to a medical monitor so staff can see a patient’s oxygenation at all times. Most monitors also display the heart rate.
A blood-oxygen displays the percentage of arterial hemoglobin in the oxyhemoglobin configuration. Normal ranges are from 95 to 100 percent, although values down to 90 percent are acceptable.
We also perform exercise pulse oximetry for Medicare patients needing to re-qualify for their home oxygen and to evaluate a patient’s oxygen levels during exercise.
