Pulse Oximeters, reccomended units and how to use.

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#2816859 22-Nov-2021 09:18

Mine arrived today. It works, makes a quiet noise when working, no noise otherwise. It gives oxygen and pulse measurements that seem about right. It's really poorly built though, if you don't push the opening release exactly in the center it twists sideways and doesn't close properly. It's probably not bad enough to return, but it does seem like something they bought in bulk on AliExpress for $5 and then sell for $40 in NZ.

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#2816869 22-Nov-2021 09:32

Saw on the 6pm news last night that there are already shortages of Oximeters and some positive households are going 5-7 days without them.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/456262/confusion-from-government-over-taking-the-pulse-for-covid-19

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#2816954 22-Nov-2021 10:35

'She couldn't even breathe': Families challenged to care for Covid-19 relatives at home (Stuff story)

It was frightening to get the call they had tested positive but things got worse when his wife's health deteriorated.

"She couldn't even breathe to walk five steps. She was out of breath sitting down," the man said.

They were watching her pulse oximeter, a machine for monitoring oxygen levels, trying to decide what to do.

The information that came with the meter said to call an ambulance if the levels dropped below 95, but they were reading as 96 and 97, he said.

When they eventually called an ambulance, the crew said the reading was wrong.

"When they gave the reading on her, her oxygen was well below 90," he said.

"So we hadn't rung an ambulance when she was in deep distress."

Sounds like the MoH supplied pulse oximeters may not be so great.

DS248

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#2817017 22-Nov-2021 12:54

jonathan18:

Stu: Just a note that I don't trust my phone. My S10+ up against a doctor's gizmo reads too low. The phone said 91 and 93 (two checks), when the real deal said 99. I've even had the phone give a reading of 90. I wasn't ill. Maybe that's why the newer phones don't seem to have it? (At least, I don't believe the wife's S21 or daughter's S20 FE have the oxygen sensor)

Perhaps worth comparing yours to an actual pulse oximeter.

Huh! Owned an S10+ for two years and had no idea it had this built in. Just as well as I’m sure it wouldn’t help with hypochondria - I just got a reading of 89!

I guess there are a lot of variables, perhaps more so with a phone. I have irregularly checked oxygen saturation a number of times over the last 3 yrs or so on my now 'ancient' S8 and almost all readings have been in the 97% - 99% range (occasional 96% & 100%). Readings of 98% and 99% about half an hour ago. The oxygen saturation readings were largely incidental. I often use the health app 'Stress' function to check HR as that gives HR and oxygen saturation at the same time. I find it important press quite lightly to get a good HR trace.

The preprint article (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7899474/) linked back on p1 of this thread evaluated the performance of the oximeter on an Samsung S9+ phone during controlled steady-state hypoxia (SpO2 ~70–100%). At least under laboratory conditions* and 12 healthy subjects, the RMSD of readings they obtained (2.6%) was "well within requirements for FDA/ISO clearance for clinical pulse oximetry, which is <3.5% RMSD SpO2 value". (* eg. Silicone boot used to hold fingers continuously in position on the sensor over a period of 30 minutes)

Like many others here I have ordered a fingertip oximeter (Contec CSM50N) and then found out SO had ordered an 'unbranded' model off GrabOne the same day! It will be interesting to compare the two fingertip oximeters with our smartphone readings

Scott3

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#2817196 22-Nov-2021 15:59

Scott3:

I ordered myself a couple from aliexpress as part of the 11-11 sale

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003151931694.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32255302315.html

One is a child unit, and the other an adult one - hoping with two that I can use them to verify the results are consistent.

Both units were around $17 - decided to stay away from the $5 ones. Of course shipping can be as long as 40 days, so I won't have them for a while.

If we actually get covid-19 I would look to get something better locally. But I figured having these at home would be useful. - I would have used it when my wife and child had RSV this winter too.

Surprisingly the adult unit turned up today, from an address in South Auckland. I got the first option (grey and bag). Was expecting a 8 week wait.

Seems to be a bit of variation in measurements, between 96 & 99%, but given +/- 2% measurement error, and actual changes in my blood oxygen, I don't think that is a massive concern.

MurrayM

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#2817410 23-Nov-2021 07:45

Scott3:

Surprisingly the adult unit turned up today, from an address in South Auckland. I got the first option (grey and bag). Was expecting a 8 week wait.

That's the same one as I ordered on Nov 15th. The tracking status shows that it has arrived in NZ.

MikeB4

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#2817418 23-Nov-2021 08:08

Last week at my monthly GP check up my doctor as usual checks my O2 levels. He noticed I was wearing Galaxy watch 4 and ask if he could for professional interest sake check and compare the results on my watch with his meter. The tests on my watch and his meter gave the same result for O2 and only a small variation in pulse rate of one or two beats per minute.

Pity the watch is not as accurate when it comes to sleep tracking.

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#2818043 23-Nov-2021 19:31

My three turned up today.

Had a bit of a play and found the one we opened reads 99% for my partner and 97% for me and the BPM was pretty accurate.

I could manipulate the o2 reading by taking a few big deep breaths to see the reading rise, so it works.

Will take readings over the next few days to get a baseline and then tuck it away in a drawer.

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#2818066 23-Nov-2021 20:26

MurrayM:

Sounds like the MoH supplied pulse oximeters may not be so great.

it may not be MOH.

you see, these things don't work very well on people of coloured skin. maybe it's as simple as that.

MurrayM

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#2819181 25-Nov-2021 13:55

My pulse oximeter arrived today. I got this one. Ordered on the 15th November, arrived 25th November, cost me $19.40 including shipping. Seems to be well built, includes a lanyard, carry case and instructions (some of the English is a bit off but still easy to understand) but no batteries (takes 2 x AAA and it did say that it doesn't include batteries). I've tested it a few times on myself and my partner and the results seem to be consistent and what I'd expect. The unit is very easy to use and has a setup function that lets you turn beeps on/off as well as adjust the brightness and the alarm thresholds.

neb

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#2822077 30-Nov-2021 20:09

Batman:
how to use, assuming accurate/reliable -

1. put it on a well person, it should say 95-100%.

Step 1a: Record the person's reading when they're Covid-free. Some people may start out at a lower-than-average level even when they're perfectly healthy, so you're looking for a significant drop, not an absolute reading.

neb

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#2822079 30-Nov-2021 20:12

psychrn: 89 is quite low for a healthy individual. I would ? its accuracy

It's not just "quite low", it's "rush them to hospital immediately" if they have Covid. So yeah, I wouldn't trust it for anything.

neb

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#2822092 30-Nov-2021 20:20

SirHumphreyAppleby:
$300 for that?

The certification requirements for any medical-use devices are insane, you're paying $10 for the electronics and $290 for the certification it's been through. Or $190 for the certification and $100 for the vendor's profit margin. In most cases the $30 TM ones will do the same job.

timmmay

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#2822095 30-Nov-2021 20:24

The emax ones work fine for me and give me data in about 3-5 seconds. It took about five minutes for it to pick up my wife's pulse, it just turned off, whereas the one at the doctors office worked first time. Anyone else found something similar?

neb

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#2822105 30-Nov-2021 20:44

JPNZ:
Keytruda will save/extend 30 lives a week in NZ, its criminal that Pharmac looked at funding it but opted out due to cost constraints.

Pharmac have a fixed budget that they have to allocate in a greatest-benefit-for-all manner, specifically so they can tell the pharma companies that the well isn't bottomless because once they know that more money can be extracted, they will. That's what makes Pharmac work... unfortunately it also means that only some things can get funded.

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