Home Health Care Series

Part 4 – Respiratory/Pulse Rate

The previous installment of our four-part Home Health Care series focused on measuring body weight (Part 3 - Weight), today we'll be concluding our series by looking at the importance of using a pulse oximeter as a way to continue to monitor one's wellness while at home.

Acute hypoxia (otherwise known as silent hypoxia) is when one's oxygen level in the blood drops without any warning. During today's pandemic, doctors have reported cases of COVID-19 patients who had no signs of respiratory issues — shortness of breath and coughing — but whose blood oxygen levels dropped rapidly to a point of critical respiratory distress.

What is the relationship between respiratory rate/pulse rate and COVID-19?

As the CDC has stated, older adults and anyone who has a severe underlying condition such as heart or lung disease appear to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19.

The CDC advises monitoring for cough, fever, and shortness of breath — and this is when using a pulse oximeter can help you decide if your symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room. Generally, an oxygen level is between 95-97% is normal; below 90% is as good a reason as any to go to the emergency room.

The Easy Read Pulse Oximeter provides an easy way to monitor your blood oxygen level and pulse rate while at home.

• It monitors blood oxygen level (%SpO2) and pulse rate (PRbpm)
• It uses large high-contrast numbers on a dual-color OLED display
• It has six display options

We hope our home health care series has helped you consider the appropriate measures to take for equipping your home with today's necessities: a thermometer, blood pressure monitor, body scale, and an oximeter.