Trying to find decent Oximeter

[AKidd]

I know the likelihood that anyone personally or their service has one in decent condition for sale, so instead, I'll ask you about what pulse oximeters you have experience with as being both portable (as in quite small with more than 2h battery time) and reliable.

My daughter has a Nellcor 550, and while it is a decent unit for stationary monitoring, does not travel well. I don't want to get her a fingertip spot check type monitor (for a number of reasons) but we do need to get her another more portable monitor for day to day community use.

Any suggestions? Anything you'd avoid? Thanks - and remember these are opinions - please don't jump on each other for someone liking what another thinks is a POS. We all have our reasons.

 

[VentMedic]

We've switched from Nellcor to Masimo. They can be portable or part of a base station.

 

[trevor1189]

We've switched from Nellcor to Masimo. They can be portable or part of a base station.

Yeah we use the Masimo Rad 57. Very nice. They do SpCO % too. Expensive though.

 

[MedicSqrl]

Yeah we use the Masimo Rad 57. Very nice. They do SpCO % too. Expensive though.

Does someone have a link to buy?

Also does anyone recommend any of the finger ones? The cheapest nellcor I could find was like 300, but the fingers go for half.

 

[AKidd]

The fact that you can get the fingertip ones for as little as $69 sort of lends credence to their position as more of a novelty than a reliable tool. With that said, in a personal kit, they have a place for spot checks - but lack to "go to" factor for longer term monitoring.

Let's trade - I'll find you a link to purchase the Masimo Rad 57, and you show me where you are finding a Nellcor oximeter for $300. That might be what I need for my purposes right now...

Here is the Rad 57 At $1000, it is likely a bit more than I need, but I will not disagree that it is a super looking unit. With that said... if I really needed to use all the functions of this monitor - being out in the community with my "patient" would be the least of my worries.

If I was going to get a Masimo monitor (and I have heard super things about them) I would likely get a Radical-7 and relegate the Nellcor unit we have to reserve backup. We have used them in hospital and I have used them in the field, and it is definitely a "do both" unit.

Really, I was more looking for a true "handheld" unit - something along these lines... Does anyone have preferences among the ones you see here?

 

[MedicSqrl]

Ebay is the place I found it at. Some various site also sell them for that price, but your best bet is ebay. $1000 for a Pulse ox is way too much and would never pay that much for one. For my purposes I really don't need pinpoint accuracy but whether or not there in the 80%.

 

[firecoins]

http://www.portablenebs.com/oximeters.htm

 

[JPINFV]

Ebay is the place I found it at. Some various site also sell them for that price, but your best bet is ebay. $1000 for a Pulse ox is way too much and would never pay that much for one. For my purposes I really don't need pinpoint accuracy but whether or not there in the 80%.

Serious question. As a basic, what does a pulse ox tell you that you can't see based on exam, HPI, and review of system? After all, A SpO2 of 100 doesn't mean that the patient isn't hypoxic.

 

[MedicSqrl]

Serious question. As a basic, what does a pulse ox tell you that you can't see based on exam, HPI, and review of system? After all, A SpO2 of 100 doesn't mean that the patient isn't hypoxic.

No, but it help proves what I find and gives me a basis to follow my protocols which use SPO2 as a measurement.

 

[medicdan]

Do you really have protocols that dictate your care based entirely on pulse ox measurement? I highly doubt that.

You have protocols that call for treatment after a complete review of HPI and Physical exam, followed by assessment of vital signs (an element of the PE). There is no therapy (on the BLS level), including O2 admin that would be justified/contraindicated with just data from a pulse oximeter.

 

[firecoins]

If in doubt, give O2. Thats the BLS protocol.

 

[MedicSqrl]

Do you really have protocols that dictate your care based entirely on pulse ox measurement? I highly doubt that.

You have protocols that call for treatment after a complete review of HPI and Physical exam, followed by assessment of vital signs (an element of the PE). There is no therapy (on the BLS level), including O2 admin that would be justified/contraindicated with just data from a pulse oximeter.

Just because I am a basic doesn't mean I will always use this for BLS transports. I do work for a company that doesn't have SPO2 on "all" their ALS trucks. Our protocol say that we must give oxygen to anyone under 94% unless they have COPD. I can technically give it to anyone for any reason, but this says I must give it for those criteria. Can't do that without a oximeter.

Even with that aside it just one more tool you can use. Why not have it if you can afford it.

 

[NomadicMedic]

The BLS service I was working for carried the Nonin 8500 Pulse Ox. It worked fine for what we used it for.

The medic units that I currently ride all have the Masimo Rad57 monitors, great because of their ability to measure SpCO. Most of the time I just use the SpO2 on the LP12.

 

[MedicSqrl]

The BLS service I was working for carried the Nonin 8500 Pulse Ox. It worked fine for what we used it for.

The medic units that I currently ride all have the Masimo Rad57 monitors, great because of their ability to measure SpCO. Most of the time I just use the SpO2 on the LP12.

My second company uses LP10 so no SpO2 there..lol

 

[VentMedic]

Just because I am a basic doesn't mean I will always use this for BLS transports. I do work for a company that doesn't have SPO2 on "all" their ALS trucks. Our protocol say that we must give oxygen to anyone under 94% unless they have COPD. I can technically give it to anyone for any reason, but this says I must give it for those criteria. Can't do that without a oximeter.

A COPD patient can not be short of breath or hypoxic at an SpO2 of 94%? What percentage of COPD patients even fall into the CO2 retainer category?

I suppose the protocol then says to give no more than 2 liters of O2.

 

[MedicSqrl]

A COPD patient can not be short of breath or hypoxic at an SpO2 of 94%? What percentage of COPD patients even fall into the CO2 retainer category?

I suppose the protocol then says to give no more than 2 liters of O2.

yup..

 

[mycrofft]

Price the probes.

The probe wires are prone to damage, price the inevitable replacements.
And don't get hypnotized by the beeps and boops. Look at the pt.

 

[AKidd]

The probe wires are prone to damage, price the inevitable replacements.
And don't get hypnotized by the beeps and boops. Look at the pt.

That is very good advice - many of the inexpensive options out there have you basically paying to replace the unit if you need to replace the probe. One of the reasons I like the Nellcor unit is that it uses the same "disposable" probes as our home hospital - so I know that they will always be in reasonably ready supply in town.

As for the numbers/not the patient... I have a child who does not fall into "norms" for anything - she is routinely hypothermic, hypotensive and bradycardic... and happy that way. I shudder to think of "protocol" interventions she might have to endure based on numbers alone...

 

[MedicSqrl]

That's why I would rather have a nellcor since all the hospitals here use it. But the price tag is a little much for me. I have spent more than that before, just not on something so small.

 

[spinnakr]

I think a pulseox is a valid piece of equipment in a "stay and play" situation, even for BLS. The only time (as BLS) I'd ever even consider using it in a load-and-go is as a quick and dirty way to monitor pulse.

On a side note: just because a pulseox can lie to you, doesn't mean that that is necessarily a bad thing. A hypoxic patient with intense flu-like symptoms and a pulsox SpO2 of 100% is a reaaally big warning bell for carbon monoxide poisoning.

That said, to steal the phrase my instructor loved so much, treat your patient, not the equipment.