Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Oximeters Sold Out At Argos
It’s a really good idea to have one at home just incase.
Argos have been sold out for days since Oximeters hit the news.
You can usually get one for only £20 quid
Anyone seen them available elsewhere at a similar price?
Cheers
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on
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If someone is suffering COVID-like symptoms (high temperature, restricted breathing among others), an oximeter indicates the oxygen level in the blood and can inform medics judgement (beyond a high temperature and overt breathing problems) on whether the patient needs to be taken to a hospital.
D Cummings' partner Mary Wakefield referred to one of these in a very recent Spectator article, and in a version on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday - basically, his oxygen levels were low enough for a few days that hospital would have been advised, but it didn't happen by patient choice, she said.
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To be clear, I'm not endorsing that course of action, just reporting it, and why 'oximeter' has become a topic under discussion. I agree with Amit, and Michael - and thank you for the data on error rates.
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I think if you're at the point where you're even contemplating an oximeter you should probably be in hospital.
It's all very well for Mr Cummings' partner to talk about patient choice knowing full well that they're first in line to be airlifted to hospital should the need arise,but for us mere mortals following medical advice (yes, that's the corollary to "patient choice") is not just advisable but potentially lifesaving.
The advice in the lead story on the BBC yesterday was to go to hospital if necessary.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Sorry for misspelling your name!
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The National Center for Biotechnology Information (based in the USA) tested low cost over the counter oximeters and found that the many had a +/-6% error rate in testing oxygen saturation in haemoglobin. As a reading of less that 96% is considered grounds for further testing, that error could either give a false self diagnosis of NOT needing medical intervention or cause unnecessary worry.
i agree with Amir - if you are worried call 111
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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I have one and have had one for a couple of years now. I do have three underlying lung conditions though.
The ones used by doctors etc are tested and regulated often by the hospitals. Mine is not but when I go to the hospital or the doctors I always take mine with me to compare the readings between my own and a regulated one. That way I know if I can trust it or not. It has often helped with phoned diagnostics where a decision was made whether I should be checked out at the hospital or a doctor to come and visit me.
I would not use it for Covid-19 though and I doubt that 111 would take as much notice of it now as they did prior to this crisis. As I said, for me low oxygen levels could be caused by any one of three existing lung conditions so would be inconclusive as an indication for the virus.
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I hope that when this crisis is over that more people will go and do First aid courses.
These straightfoward courses help save lives and can help you to know when someone is lacking oxygen levels.
Of course they don't diminish the point of everything else that can do so too.
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Hypoxia can be detected earlier when there are no breathing difficulties displayed according to this New York Times article by a Dr dealing with the emergency. I also read of a Boston MD who realised this after so many days working in the virus wards in ICU there and published in the Boston News. This was several weeks ago and it seems that a fall of oxygen levels to 88 is when you need hospitalisation whereas a normal reading would be 95 or thereabouts. This is a silent killer for by the time you have the symptoms you are wholly reliant on your fitness level with no underlying conditions. You'll need the CPAC asap and the oximeter indicates two to three days earlier where you are. Just look online for these accounts by US physicians at the coalface.
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