Whether you are the patient or you are working closely with a patient who uses oxygen on a daily basis, you need to learn about oxygen analyzers. By using an oxygen analyzer, you can both be certain that you are staying as healthy as possible. What are Oxygen Analyzers Measuring? The use of an oxygen analyzer is to ensure that the flow from the oxygen tank through the tubing and into the cannula is strong enough for the patient's blood to stay oxygenated. This is very important when a patient's condition is preventing their blood from being fully oxygenated. The doctor who prescribed the oxygen in the first place will give the patient a target range of oxygenation that the patient or caregiver can then monitor with the handheld analyzer. Who Should Have an Oxygen Analyzer? Anyone who uses or works with someone who has an oxygen tank will need oxygen analyzers. This might be someone who has lung problems or someone with a condition that prevents proper oxygenation of their blood (some cancers, for example). If you are switching an oxygen tank, this oxygen analyzer will make sure the oxygen flow is good and that it will provide the most oxygen saturation for the patient who is using the tank. Check with your doctor if you're not sure if you need an analyzer for the oxygen tank or not. How Reliable are Oxygen Analyzers? What's great about oxygen analyzer companies is that they test their products again and again to make sure that they are working properly. What you might want to do is talk to the manufacturer first to see if you can test the analyzer along with the oxygen supplier – since they tend to have better equipment for their own measurements. If your measurements and their measurements are the same, or close, you can be certain to be able to trust the analyzer in the future. However, if the oxygen levels of the patient aren't remaining stable, a trip to the doctor for a check of the oxygen flow might be warranted regardless of what the analyzer says. What Should You Do if You Get a Low Oxygen Analyzer Reading? There will come a time when the oxygen analyzers get lower readings than you might expect. The first thing you will want to do is to check to see if you have hooked up the oxygen tank properly and used a full tank of oxygen in the first place. Check and recheck the connection points to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be. Look at the oxygen tank itself to make sure it's not damaged or that it's not expired. If everything seems to be in place, you will want to try hooking up a fresh tank of oxygen to see if things change. Usually, this is all that is needed, but you will want to alert the oxygen supplier to let them know that you received a faulty tank instead of a full one.

Even if the person who is being treated doesn’t seem to be having troubles breathing, finger pulse oximeters are still a good idea. However, in cases of breathing troubles or a fever, the use of these monitors is especially necessary. Patients with lung disorders, cancers, and other chronic illnesses may want to have finger pulse oximeters around to ensure that their blood is getting oxygenated. These devices are also helpful when you are heading out to a secluded area where you might not be able to access medical attention quickly. After purchasing a finger pulse oximeter, it's essential that you read the instructions which come with the device itself. Since each monitor is different, you will want to make sure you are using the oximeter correctly. In addition, you will need to make sure the finger pulse oximeter is securely fastened to the finger and that the finger is resting level with the body. What you may also want to keep in mind is that each person's version of 'normal' is different. So, if your blood oxygen level isn't as high as someone else's, this doesn't mean that something is wrong necessarily. Smokers, for example, tend to have lower oxygen saturation levels and those who are avid exercisers tend to have higher levels. Pulse Oximeters also come in different models and options:

• Datex Ohmeda Pulse Oximeters Finger Pulse Oximeters Hand Held & Portable Pulse Oximeters Nellcor Pulse Oximeters Tabletop Pulse Oximeters

Even if you're not a medical trained staff member, you can use finger pulse oximeters in your daily life to monitor medical conditions or to assess emergency situations. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about pulse oximetry and the correct use of a finger pulse oximeter. Finger pulse oximeters work by measuring the aterial blood's oxygen saturation. What happens each time your heart beats is that you are pushing oxygenated blood out to the perimeters of your body. And when the heart contracts, it's pulling the non-oxygenated blood back to the lungs to get oxygen. This cycle continues again and again. When your heart beats, the pulse oximeter will measure the oxygen that's in this aterial blood as it moves out from the heart. You will receive the measurement in a percentage – anything over 90% is safe, though 94% is considered to be ideal. Beams of light from the oximeter determine the oxygen saturation of the blood as it moves away from the heart, and that's how the oximeter produces that percentage. The good news is that anyone can use a finger pulse oximeter. In fact, this is one of the first things that happen when you are admitted to the hospital for an emergency treatment. To make sure you are getting enough oxygen, you will get a pulse oximeter on your finger. Adults and children alike can use these monitors to check their oxygen levels, though there are different sizes for both ages or there are different finger placement rules for differently sized fingers.

Pulse Oximeters also come in different models and options:

• Datex Ohmeda Pulse Oximeters
• Finger Pulse Oximeters
• Hand Held & Portable Pulse Oximeters
• Nellcor Pulse Oximeters
• Tabletop Pulse Oximeters