Download Article

Download Article

Experts say that your doctor might measure your blood oxygen levels to make certain your lungs are working correctly, to make sure a medical treatment is working, to check for sleep apnea, or to detect out if you're salubrious enough for do.[1] Your md may practise an arterial claret gas examination or pulse oximetry exam to mensurate how much oxygen is in your blood. Research shows that blood oxygen tests won't diagnose your condition, but they can aid your md narrow down the cause of your symptoms.[2] While arterial blood gas tests are typically more than accurate, pulse oximetry may evidence your claret oxygen levels over a menstruum of time.[three] Fortunately, these tests are unproblematic and piece of cake.

  1. 1

    Contact a health professional person to receive an arterial blood gas examination. Your doctor or other medical professional tin accurately mensurate your claret oxygen level using advanced techniques and equipment. You lot may need to have your blood oxygen level tested prior to surgery or other medical procedures, or if yous have sure conditions, such every bit:[4] [5]

    • Slumber apnea
    • A centre attack or congestive eye failure
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary affliction (COPD)
    • Anemia
    • Lung cancer
    • Asthma
    • Pneumonia
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • A current or possible need for mechanical ventilation to support your animate

  2. 2

    Set up for the procedure. [half dozen] While the arterial claret gas test is mutual and quite safe, y'all will still want to prepare for the procedure. Talk to your medico to make sure you understand the examination, and ask questions whatsoever questions you may have almost information technology. You lot tin also assistance past letting your doctor know if:

    • You have or have had bleeding problems
    • You have blood thinners, such every bit aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin)
    • You are taking whatsoever medications
    • Yous have any known allergies to medications or anesthetics

    Advertising

  3. 3

    Know the risks. The arterial claret gas test is a routine procedure, and in that location is little chance of serious bug developing as a result of it.[vii] Potential minor risks include:

    • A minor bruise at the site where blood is drawn from the avenue. Keeping pressure on the site for at least x minutes later the needle is removed volition lower the chances of bruising.
    • Feelings of lightheadedness, dizziness, or nausea while blood is being drawn from your artery.
    • Prolonged haemorrhage. This is a potential risk if you take a haemorrhage disorder or are taking blood-thinning medicines such as aspirin or warfarin.
    • A blocked artery. If the needle amercement a nerve or artery, information technology may cause the avenue to become blocked. This is a rare problem.

  4. 4

    Have a health professional select the test site. To mensurate blood oxygen with this method, blood must be drawn from an artery. Usually, one in your wrist (the radial avenue) is chosen, although blood tin also be drawn from an artery in your groin (the femoral artery) or from your arm above the elbow (the brachial artery).[8] A needle volition be used to depict the blood for the sample.

    • You will be able to sit for the procedure, and your arm will be extended and will rest on a comfy surface.
    • The health professional volition feel your wrist to find your pulse and to check the blood menses of your arteries (a procedure chosen the Allen exam).
    • If you use an arm for dialysis, or if in that location is infection or inflammation at the intended test site, some other area will be used for the arterial blood gas exam.
    • An artery is chosen for this procedure because it will let the oxygen to be measured before it enters torso tissues, giving a more authentic reading.
    • If you lot are currently on oxygen therapy, your dr. may have the oxygen shut off for twenty minutes prior to the test (unless you cannot exhale without the oxygen) to help get an accurate reading of your blood oxygen level.

  5. five

    Accept a health professional person take a blood sample. In one case he or she has selected a test site, your health professional will prepare the site and utilize a needle to have a blood sample.[9]

    • First, the peel on the examination site will be cleaned with alcohol. You may be given a local anesthetic (past injection) to numb the area first.
    • The needle will be puncture your skin, and blood will fill the syringe. Make sure that you breathe normally while the claret is being fatigued. If you were not given a local anesthetic, you may feel some slight pain during this pace.
    • One time the syringe is full, the needle will be removed and gauze or a cotton fiber ball volition be put over the puncture site.
    • A bandage will be put over the puncture site. Y'all should utilise pressure to the site for 5 to x minutes in guild to stop any bleeding. If you lot are on any claret thinning medications or accept haemorrhage problems, your wellness professional person may instruct you to apply pressure for a longer fourth dimension.

  6. 6

    Follow post-procedure instructions. [10] In the majority of cases, patients will recover from the minor discomfort of an arterial blood gas test quickly and without issue. Withal, y'all should be gentle at first with the arm or leg used for the claret draw. Avoid lifting or carrying objects for well-nigh twenty for hours afterward the test.

    • Contact your doctor if you have prolonged bleeding from the site, or any other unexpected upshot.

  7. seven

    Have the claret sample sent to a lab. Once the sample is nerveless, your health professional volition send the sample to a lab to complete the examination. When the sample arrives at a lab, technicians can use special equipment to mensurate the blood oxygen level of your sample.

    • The amount of fourth dimension that passes before receiving the results of your arterial blood gas examination will depend on which lab your sample is sent to. Your health professional will be able to requite you this information.
    • In emergency situations, particularly if you are in a hospital, the results may be bachelor within a few minutes. Ask your healthcare provider how long you can expect to expect to receive your results.

  8. viii

    Interpret the results. The arterial claret gas test gives a reading of partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your claret, which is more than specific and useful to healthcare professionals than the percentages produced by pulse oximetry. Normal oxygen results are betwixt 75-100mmHg (a unit used to mensurate pressure); normal carbon dioxide results are between 38-42mmHg.[11] [12] Your doctor will discuss the implications of your examination results with y'all, including how your "normal" level may vary based on a number of factors, including:

    • Your elevation above bounding main level
    • The item lab your sample was sent to
    • Your age
    • If you accept a fever or low trunk temperature
    • If you accept sure atmospheric condition, such as anemia
    • If you fume simply prior to the test

    Advertisement

  1. ane

    Contact a health professional person to receive a pulse oximetry test. A pulse oximetry examination can give the saturation of oxygen in your blood by transmitting light through your tissues. It [13] You may need to have your blood oxygen level tested prior to surgery or other medical procedures, or if you lot take certain atmospheric condition, such as:[14] [15]

    • Sleep apnea
    • A eye attack or congestive middle failure
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Anemia
    • Lung cancer
    • Asthma
    • Pneumonia
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • A current or possible need for mechanical ventilation to back up your breathing

  2. 2

    Prepare for the procedure. The pulse oximetry method of measuring blood oxygen level is non-invasive, and then at that place is ordinarily footling you need to practise to prepare for the examination.[xvi] However, your doc will still discuss the examination with yous and respond any questions y'all may have.

    • You may be asked to remove fingernail polish, if applicable.
    • Your md may requite you other specific instructions for preparation, based on your medical condition and history.

  3. 3

    Know the risks. There are very few risks associated with pulse oximetry.[17] These are minimal, but include:

    • Skin irritation at the awarding site. This may occur with prolonged or repeated application of the probe sensor.
    • Inaccurate readings in cases of smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation.
    • Your doctor can let you know if in that location are any additional risks, based on your specific medical condition.

  4. 4

    Take your health professional set the sensor. The sensor used to measure the oxygen level of claret by pulse oximetry is a clip-similar device chosen a probe.[18] The probe sensor contains a calorie-free source, a lite detector, and a microprocessor. The light emitted from the source on one side of the clip passes through your skin and reaches the detector on the other side of the clip. The microprocessor does calculations based on the information received from the detector in order to calculate the oxygen level of your blood with a very small margin of fault.

  5. 5

    Take your health professional attach the sensor to your body. Normally, a finger, ear, or nose is chosen as the site to attach the sensor.[xix] The sensor will so use light to measure the oxygen level of your blood.

    • This method has the advantage of beingness painless and noninvasive, since no needles are involved.[20]
    • Yet, it is not as accurate as an arterial blood gas test, so in some cases, both tests may need to be performed.[21]
    • Your health professional cannot attach the sensor to an area with excessive movement or tremor, or with bruising.[22] For example, if you lot take a night trample under your fingernail, your health professional may place the sensor on your ear instead.

  6. half-dozen

    Allow the sensor perform a reading. The sensor's microprocessor will compare the manual of two wavelengths of lite, red and infrared, as they pass through the relatively thin skin of your finger, ear or other site. Hemoglobin in your blood that has captivated oxygen absorbs more than infrared lite, while hemoglobin lacking oxygen absorbs more cerise light. The sensor calculates the difference between these two values to provide information for deriving your claret oxygen level.[23]

  7. seven

    Remove the probe. If you are having your claret oxygen level measured for a one-time reading, then once the sensor has taken the necessary measurements and completed its calculations, the probe can exist removed.[24] In some cases (such as for sure congenital heart atmospheric condition), even so, your doctor may require you to wear the probe for continuous monitoring.[25] If you are asked to do this, remove the probe sensor merely when your md tells you to.

  8. 8

    Follow post-process instructions. Most of the fourth dimension, there are no special restrictions following the pulse oximetry test, and you lot can immediately return to normal activities. [26] Depending on your private medical condition, notwithstanding, your md may give you special postal service-procedure instructions.

  9. 9

    Translate the results. Once your medico has the results of your pulse oximetry exam, he or she volition review them with yous.[27] An oxygen saturation level of most 95% is described as normal.[28] Your doctor will discuss the implications of your test results with you, including how certain factors may alter the results of the test, including:

    • Decreased peripheral blood menses
    • Light shining on the oximetry probe
    • Motion of the exam site expanse
    • Anemia
    • Aberrant warmth or coolness at the test site surface area
    • Sweating at the exam site surface area
    • Contempo injection of dissimilarity dye
    • Smoking tobacco

    Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a bulletin when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizement

  • There are proposed methods for taking pulse oximetry tests with smartphones or other consumer-form electronic devices.[29] These methods are still under development, and then hash out them with your dr. offset.

Advertisement

References

Well-nigh This Article

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 122,714 times.

Did this article aid you?