Why The Aged Use A Pulse Oximeter Regularly

In many developed countries, the older segment of the population is growing more rapidly than the rest of the population. In the United States alone, it is projected that there will be more people older than the age 65 than those younger than 18 years by the year 2030. This is why there is a branch in health care called Geriatrics which specializes in the care of older adults.

Aging is an inevitable process that occurs with time. For us humans, it begins with birth and continues throughout life. As we age there comes age-related changes and deterioration in health. For this reason older people often require delicate care and management as many chronic conditions are common among their population. These age-related changes also are the prime factors that predispose them to various illnesses. Although function is maintained under normal circumstances, the frail elderly’s body particularly the respiratory and cardiovascular system will have a diminished efficiency and responds less efficiently to stress making them vulnerable to respiratory problems and heart diseases which are the major causes of morbidity and mortality among them. Hence, home and health care facilities catering to older people should have standard equipment in order to respond readily to any health crisis. One such important device would be the pulse oximeter.

Knowing the blood oxygen level is crucial for assessment of a person’s overall condition. And because the elderly is prone to develop ailments that may affect his/her oxygenation status, a pulse oximeter would be very useful. This handy device is used to measure the arterial blood oxygen saturation by means of a sensor attached to the subject’s finger, earlobe, nose, toe, or forehead. It not only measures the oxygen saturation of the blood, but reading the pulsatile signals will also yield the current heart rate of the user. Normally, the reading of the O₂ saturation should be between 95 to 100%, while the heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

Because of its accuracy and non-invasiveness, the pulse oximeter has been the method of choice in identifying cases of hypoxemia or low blood oxygen in the elderly. Unlike having blood tests which require puncturing the skin with a needle which can only be done periodically, the device offers a continuous monitoring system. And depending on the type of oximeter unit you have, you can also store these data for future use. Some may even include printing an oximetry report which is a crucial information for the health team to assess. The great thing about the pulse oximeter is that it can even immediately detect hypoxemia before clinical signs and symptoms appear such as dusky skin and bluish nailbeds develop, thus avoiding late management and life-threatening events.

Pulse oximetry is a quick and inexpensive method of assessing oxygenation.  A reading below 95% would indicate that the person using it may be receiving inadequate amount of oxygen which may be secondary to common illnesses in the older adult like pneumonia, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. In some situations, the elderly may also be severely anemic and have inadequate oxygen to supply the tissues.

However, you should also consider some factors in the elderly which can affect the results of oximetry. To ensure reliability of the results, the one conducting the pulse oximetry monitoring or spot checking must assess whether the elderly is taking any medications that can cause the constriction of blood vessels such as decongestants, stimulants, and antihistamines. Vasoconstriction may cause less blood flow thus a falsely lowered reading.  Another is to determine whether the site of application has good circulation. And lastly, thickened nails in older persons may make finger and toe sensors inaccurate.

The pulse rate and oxygen saturation in the elderly will reflect how well the respiratory and cardiovascular system is doing. And because any issues concerning these two systems will have a great impact on the entire well-being of the patient, it is essential that the oxygen saturation should be monitored regularly, especially with the fragile elderly.

Pulse oximeters with various types of sensors are available from several manufacturers. Wired units are commonly used in hospitals and large health care facilities. They have some added feature which will aid in storing data and facilitate better delivery of results. If the client requires frequent or continuous home monitoring, cordless units are also available which are less expensive compared to the conventional ones. They are also smaller and lighter which is ideal to be carried around by elderly patients.