What is a pulse oximetry?
A pulse oximetry is a simple procedure that measures the level of oxygen in your blood.
Who needs a pulse oximetry?
You may need a pulse oximetry if you have a condition that affects your heart or lungs.
What happens during the procedure?
There is no special preparation for this procedure.A small device called an
oximeter is placed on the end of the finger. Infrared light passes through your capillaries giving a measure of how much red blood to infrared blood light there is. It also detects your pulse. When the pulse is absent, the intensity of color is then subtracted. This gives the reading as the percentage of oxygen saturation in the blood.You will usually not have to wait to receive the result of your pulse oximetry reading.
Source:
www.medicinenet.com, 2009
