The pulse oximeter is a device that can tell how much oxygen is in the blood. Ideally, oxygen saturation should be between 95-99%. If it hits 95% or lower would result in hypoxemia and should be a major concern. The child should be rushed to the ER if it is anything below 90% because, without enough oxygen, the major organs in the body such as the brain, liver, etc. can be damaged just minutes after the symptoms start.
How can the pulse oximeter be beneficial for kids with asthma? When a child has a flare or a severe asthma attack, the airway narrows making it hard for the child to breathe and the air to get in the lungs. Coughing to clear the lungs uses more oxygen thus making the symptoms worse. Oxygen levels can also drop even when the child has stopped coughing or when sleeping. There are some people with breathing problems that have died in their sleep because they weren’t getting enough oxygen. So by regularly using the pulse oximeter, the level of oxygen saturation can be measured determining whether the child is still getting enough oxygen or the oxygen saturation level is too low.
The pulse oximeter like the CMS-50QB is one device that can be used to monitor oxygen saturation. It is a simple, portable monitor for measuring oxygen saturation and pulse rate and is suitable for use indoors and outdoors. It is also used in monitoring COPD patients or those who suffer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Other people who benefit from regularly measuring the level of oxygen saturation are patients with heart problems and anemia among others.