Description:
This article discusses the pulse
oximeter, a handy clinical device introduced in the late 1980s that facilitates
rapid assessment of the oxygenation status of a patient without having to break the
skin and/or analyze whole blood. This article helps the learner understand the
importance of the pulse oximeter, and discusses ways the pulse oximeter's
accuracy can be affected.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the importance of the pulse oximeter
- Discuss how the pulse oximeter's accuracy can be affected
- Describe how to use a pulse oximeter
Author(s):
Neilsen J. Schulz, MA,CMA, RRT, RCP
Launched: 2007