Konica Minolta Explains Pulse Oximeters With New Guide, "How to Read SpO₂"

In addition to its leadership in color measurement and management, Konica Minolta is also known for its advanced series of portable pulse oximeters, which are crucial instruments that hospital and homecare professionals use to measure oxygen in the blood and pulse rate — two of the most important daily health indicators.

Knowing how to use a pulse oximeter is one thing; knowing exactly what it does, how it does it, and what the results really mean is quite another. Now, the Instrument Systems Division of Konica Minolta Sensing, which markets the Pulsox series of pulse oximeters, has published an informative, practical and easy-to-understand guide to explain it all.

Called "How to Read SpO₂," the 20-page color illustrated guide covers a dozen topics designed to put the vital subject of blood oxygenation right at your fingertips. With a dozen chapters ranging from How Does Oxygen Move Around the Body and What Is Oxygen Saturation, to Where is the Pulse Oximeter Used and What Are Permissible Levels of SpO₂, the guide can effectively become your most complete and effective source of information on this complex yet essential topic.

A pulse oximeter uses two frequencies of light, red and infrared, to determine the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is saturated with oxygen. The percentage is called blood oxygen saturation, or SpO₂. Pulse oximeters measure SpO₂, which can indicate how well oxygen is being circulated through the body, as well as showing if a sufficient amount is being supplied to the lungs. The portable devices also measure pulse rate, which is the volume of blood being pumped per minute by the heart.

As "How to Read SpO₂" explains, the measurements taken by pulse oximeters are among the top five most important vital signs in any healthcare environment. In fact, in respiratory and cardiovascular wards, routine SpO₂ monitoring is performed by nurses on every patient during routine morning, afternoon and evening rounds. And because of the convenience of Konica Minolta's pulse oximeters, SpO₂ monitoring is also easily accomplished in the home. One model in the product line slips over one finger, making it as simple to use as putting on a glove, and the other, at only 1.5 ounces, is worn like a wristwatch.

Every aspect of the use and understanding of the pulse oximeter is covered in this convenient and highly informative booklet, which provides even further basic data on blood oxygenation and blood flow for those interested in all aspects of pulmonary monitoring and cardiovascular wellness. With several easy-to-understand charts and graphs, readers can learn how oxygen gets into the blood in the first place, what other monitoring indictors mean, such as PaO₂ (partial pressure of arterial blood), and how Home Oxygen Therapy (HOT) monitoring is handled.

It is fascinating and worthwhile publication for those who own, use, or are considering the purchase of a pulse oximeter, and even for those who simply want to find out more about this fundamental area of daily health assessment.

SOURCE: Konica Minolta Sensing Americas, Inc.