Pulse ox (O2 sat machine) vs an apnea monitor

[ArwenEvenstar]

This is really a dumb question I guess. I'm a private duty RN, and my patient has a bedside pulse oximeter or O2 sat machine. We apply it to one of her toes, and she wears it over night. It shows her O2 sat and heart rate. I saw similar machines at the hospital when respiratory was doing overnight O2 sat studies.

Anyways...my question. Other nurses on this case are charting that this is an apnea monitor. Now, I have zero experience with apnea monitors. Have never even seen one. But I always "thought" that an apnea monitor is a different machine and that electrodes must be applied to the patient's chest and the patient's respirations are literally monitored. Am I wrong here?

This is really not that important. But little things bother me sometimes. But here I am charting that I've applied the pulse oximeter, while other nurses are charting that they have applied the apnea monitor....

[Altra, BSN, RN]

These are indeed two entirely different monitors, and I hope for your sake & that of your coworkers that this patient's chart is never reviewed for litigation.

Possibly you could suggest to your manager that an inservice on the function and purpose of various monitoring equipment is in order.

[realnursealso/LPN, LPN]

A pulse oximetry machine is used to measure the concentration of oxygen in a patients blood, with my peds patients in the home we watch for anything below 90%. Versus an apnea monitor, which is set for a detection of respirations. This is ususally set for how many seconds without respirations. If the patient does not take a breath in so many seconds, the alarm goes off. So if you are charting about these machines then you need to document about both. Hope this helps.:wink2:. And you are correct, an apnea monitor has pads attached to the patients chest.

[ilstu99]

Not the same thing at ALL. O2 for just that, apnea for respiratory rate. By the time the O2 sats drop, she could be well into an apneic episode. Also, because a low O2 can be caused by something other than RR.

I suppose, in the MOST general sense of the word, it is an "apnea monitor," since it would pick up an apneic issue....but not in the same way with which they are correctly referred.

If you don't want to feel like you're causing any trouble, I would simply ask your supervisor for clarification the same way you did here. "I've been charting it this way, but I noticed that it's sometimes charted it this way. Which would you prefer?"

[ArwenEvenstar]

THANKS for the clarification everyone! I felt almost for sure that I was correct. I'm an experienced nurse. I know what pulse ox/O2 sat machines are. But since I have NO apnea monitor experience I didn't want to assume, and with other nurses charting apnea monitor it made me doubt myself....