The Pediatric Oxygen Monitor and Its Features

Just like adults, children are also susceptible to different diseases. And more often than not, due to their undeveloped bodily functions, it is children who suffer most from various kinds of dysfunctions.

One of the sicknesses that develop at an early age of a child is asthma. Most of asthma’s causes are quite unknown. Nonetheless, it is still necessary to monitor the oxygen levels of children who have asthma in order to make sure that their body is not deprived of oxygen. We all know that oxygen is an important element needed by our body in order to function properly and, most of all, to live. In the United States alone, around 10 million cases of asthma among children have been reported. And for a child’s fragile body, deficiency in oxygen supply might lead to serious consequences. By monitoring the oxygen supply in the body we can prevent these things from happening. A medical instrument that is specifically designed to measure the blood oxygen levels in a child’s body is the pediatric oxygen monitor.

Also called the pediatric pulse oximeter, it is a device that can be clipped onto a translucent part of a body, displaying the result of blood oxygenation and pulse rate within seconds.

But what is its difference from the oxygen monitor usually used by adults?

Basically, the functions of an adult pulse oximeter – identifying the blood oxygenation level and pulse rate of the patient – are no different from that of a pediatric oxygen monitor. However, pediatric devices recognize the difference between the anatomy of adults and children. Unlike the monitors used for and by adults, pediatric oxygen monitors fit perfectly around the finger of a child. This is to ensure that accurate readings are obtained. As a matter of fact, measuring the health of a neonatal is now possible with pediatric oximeters that are specially made for a snug fit.

There are also oxygen monitors that may be wrapped around the foot or palm of the child. Infants, most especially, have thinner skin as compared to adults. Because of this, the wavelengths produced by the light emitting diodes in the oximeter may still be detected by the device.

Generally, these oxygen monitors for children have a small size. But despite this, they are always proved effective and useful even under the hardest circumstances. In fact, because of their miniature sizes, they are very portable and usable anywhere, anytime. If a child is suffering from unpredictable asthma attacks, this device could help the adults around him to monitor if the child is still having sufficient oxygen supply in his body. Also, during oxygen resuscitation, these monitors immediately respond with the changes in blood oxygenation. This therefore prevents the exposure of the patient to too much oxygen. Moreover, most pediatric pulse oximeters have an anti-shake feature that recognizes and filters the effects of children’s tendency to constantly move about.

Several studies also indicate that the application of a pediatric oxygen monitor in newborns may detect congenital heart disease. This is very beneficial since the defects may be identified ahead of time and the risk of more serious complications can be lowered.