handheld pulse oximeter

caliotter3 · Nov 6, 2008

A very long time ago I found some by doing an internet search. As I remember, the cost was about $340 or so. Pretty expensive.

Murse901, MSN, RN · Nov 6, 2008

You can get a fingertip type pulseox on ebay and various vendors for about $100.

Personally, I wouldn't bother. Pulseox is of questionable value when you have much better oxygenation detectors built into your brain. Pulseox is only there in most cases to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

If your patient is SOB and blue but SaO2 is 99%, are you going to withhold O2? If pt is AAOx3, skin color WNL, no SOB/dizziness and no acute distress with an SaO2 of 70%, are you going to freak out and put them on NRB at 15L?

On top of all of that, it's your hospital's responsibility to provide the equipment necessary to assess and treat patients. If a doctor orders a qshift pulseox on a patient, but there is not one available on your unit, I would document that. Your nurse supervisor will probably get a little upset at documented lack of equipment, but the equipment will eventually show up, especially once the MD reads your note about why there are no sats noted. (Of course, this isn't recommended while in nursing school -- just make sure you notify your instructor whenever equipment isn't available)

Additionally, I have worked for a couple of organizations that required you to use their diagnostic equipment -- no equipment from home except for basic stuff like your stethoscope, penlight, etc. Not even a BP cuff from home.

Sorry for the long-winded post. :typing

GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN · Nov 6, 2008

I got one on the internet for about $65, I can't remember the website, google pulse ox and you'll find everything under the sun to buy

alkaleidi · Nov 6, 2008

Anyone know of a good place to buy a handheld pulse oximeter? I'd really like to have one of my own for clinicals. You can never find one when you need one and the nurses that have their own guard them like grim death. They're like cigarettes in prison, aparently!
I can't spend a fortune, but I want a medical-grade unit.

I just ordered a couple for our health dept's new home nursing program -- they were about $78 each, and are accurate yet VERY small and handy.

I honestly have no idea what the company was, but if you want I can ask the woman that does the ordering and PM you. You can find them

Good luck!

alkaleidi · Nov 6, 2008

http://www.facelake.com/md300-c1.html this is similar to the ones we ordered. And it's affordable. :)

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2008

the only bad thing about pulse ox's getting cheaper is now my COPD pts come in with their own. So, now, every 5 minutes, the call bell goes off....

Pt. : "My pulse ox is 91%!"

Nurse: "Yes sir. That's a good number for you."

Pt. : "The book says it's too low! I need more oxygen!"

Nurse: "Sir, you have emphysema. I can't turn your oxygen higher."

Pt. : "Now it's 89 - now it's 90! You'd better get down here and do something!"

And since he made a point of telling me the thing cost 300 dollars, I couldn't toss it out the window...this went on all night long....

mama_d, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2008

Lordy, I can't tell you how much time I've spent in the last several years trying to educate the COPD CO2 retainers on why they can't just crank up the O2 when they feel SOB. Feels like banging my head against a wall sometimes! None of mine have come in with their own pulse ox yet, but I can certainly see where it's something to anticipate, and not in a good way!

My favorite was when I got so exasperated with a stubborn old man who kept turning his flowmeter up to about 8L via n/c, end stage COPD, would start retaining badly if you just put him up to a full 2L. I told him "You keep doing that, you're going to die. You want me to go get the code cart and intubation kit now, or do you just want to sign a DNR order and get a psych consult for being suicidal?" He complained to his pulmonologist (who is an OCD freak about his patients and O2 usage) and the doc told him that sounded reasonable and which did he want? DNR orders or leaving the medical equipment alone?

Ends up the patient went home and blew his face up smoking with his O2 on a few months later....

Jolie, BSN · Nov 6, 2008

On top of all of that, it's your hospital's responsibility to provide the equipment necessary to assess and treat patients. If a doctor orders a qshift pulseox on a patient, but there is not one available on your unit, I would document that. Your nurse supervisor will probably get a little upset at documented lack of equipment, but the equipment will eventually show up, especially once the MD reads your note about why there are no sats noted. (Of course, this isn't recommended while in nursing school -- just make sure you notify your instructor whenever equipment isn't available)
Additionally, I have worked for a couple of organizations that required you to use their diagnostic equipment -- no equipment from home except for basic stuff like your stethoscope, penlight, etc. Not even a BP cuff from home.

I agree 100%.

Not only is it the hospital's responsibility to provide biomedical equipment, you could place yourself at risk legally by using your own.

Hospitals require battery-operated or electrical equipment to be checked out and approved by their own biomedical engineering departments to insure safety and accuracy. If you use an "unapproved" piece of equipment and a patient is harmed (by electrical shock, inaccurate results or infection control issues) you will be held responsible.

Better, IMO to document lack of needed equipment and force the hospital to address the issue.

jackson145 · Nov 6, 2008

I agree 100%.
Not only is it the hospital's responsibility to provide biomedical equipment, you could place yourself at risk legally by using your own.
Hospitals require battery-operated or electrical equipment to be checked out and approved by their own biomedical engineering departments to insure safety and accuracy. If you use an "unapproved" piece of equipment and a patient is harmed (by electrical shock, inaccurate results or infection control issues) you will be held responsible.
Better, IMO to document lack of needed equipment and force the hospital to address the issue.

The hospital is never going to get us the equipment we need. Most of the floor nurses carry their own pulse ox and almost every instructor has one that they bring to clinicals. You just have to take it initially to the Resp Dept and get it checked out.

Jolie, BSN · Nov 6, 2008

The hospital is never going to get us the equipment we need. Most of the floor nurses carry their own pulse ox and almost every instructor has one that they bring to clinicals. You just have to take it initially to the Resp Dept and get it checked out.

Obviously, it's your decision, and while I admire your commitment to your patients, I believe that purchasing your own equipment simply enables the hospital to ignore its responsibilities. What's next? Glucometers? Thermometers? Syringe pumps?

Your bank account is going to suffer, and your pockets are going to be awfully full! :)