Finger Oxymeter can lie about your heartbeats

[Offcut]

When I was in Ambulatory Care they did the stats and put the finger oxymeter on and scribbled it all down and went away. Sister pops back and asks if I have AF still? I said yes? Okay no problem I need to do a physical check of your pulse then for the full minute. It seems that when in AF it will calculate the heart rate based on the faster heart beats. This will also do it on the single ones the doctors and bought from Amazon etc. do.

So I could show 159 on the oxymeter but on the AF real time check I could be 130. The one I have does show each beat so I can usually see it going into free jazz mode. But I have seen the difference my self on my own so another fact I can add to my list of useless facts.

Be Well

[medow]

Not a useless fact at all, offcut, mine pulse often reads high on the oxymeter, had quite a surprise when nurse took readings a while back, hope your having an ok day xxx

[Offcut in reply to medow]

Besides still feeling rough and in pain great! PMA.

Be Well

[Hidden]

Well thats interesting.....i have 2 of the finger oxymeters and if i put one on each had they give me different reading.

[Offcut in reply to Hidden]

If you think about it they show the pulse almost straight away so they must go on the amount counted in a few secs to give that reading. inflammation and position can change them slightly to.

[Hidden]

Thats why i go threw lot spo2 meters to .. Yep there are a few on main road so havee stethoscope so when my spo2 meter try's killing me

Great post offcuts

[Offcut in reply to Hidden]

Thanks.

They only for benchmark guide same as peak flow. With RLD peak flow is not the best way of seeing how well you are, only that you can still blow out

[Hidden in reply to Offcut]

Hi cheers loved the how well

Cheerd me up that

[Puffthemagicdragon]

I always check mine against the hospital one just to make sure it's reading properly and also use another one with the waveform pattern at the bottom.

[joyce741 in reply to Puffthemagicdragon]

I've had my oxymeter for a few years now, I bought it as after doing exercise I didn't know my oxygen reading and my heart rate, I bought mine from a company on Ebay paid £50. also going to pulmonary rehab I was told that the heart rate should be no higher than 220 minus your age doing exercise as that could be very dangerous . so just to check mine was working properly while at a hospital appointment the other week I tried mine after the hospital used there on me which showed more or less the same but gives me a good indication.

[Offcut in reply to joyce741]

So when I was 226 in the hospital bed was not good I kept setting of there alarms.

[bulpit]

Morning Offcut, Sorry I feel very ignorant, what is AF, So sorry you are feeling ill and in pain,do hope things soon improve, Regards Bulpit

[Offcut in reply to bulpit]

Atrial Fibrillation it means the heart beats like a free jazz band all over the place with caps and all sorts

[onamission]

The finger meter always reads the same with me before exercise and after it just means oxygen is getting in and when I went to my PR course they sent a letter to my GP because they said my oxygen was ok didn't need to take meds

[Offcut in reply to onamission]

but what if the meds are what has made that happen?

[onamission in reply to Offcut]

no I thought I had the start of the flu but as it turned out I was having a flair up. I was told on my PR course its quite common for people to have COPD and have oxygen levels reading normal and this is why she sent a letter in to my GP