Question:
Does anybody know what a pulse ox test is

My Doc requested that I have one. What is this & how is it done. What is a good "score" or Bad "score" for a lack of a better term. Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!    — Amy M. (posted on August 9, 2002)

August 9, 2002
Pulse Ox is short for pulse oximider. It measures your how well your red blood cells are carrying red blood cells. If you have oxygen on when taking this test it should read at 100%. If you dont it could be as low as 95% but should not be lower than that for long periods of time.
   — Rebekah S.

August 9, 2002
Sorry, i forgot to tell you how it is done. If you have ever visited someone in then hospital and they had that thing on their finger that had a red light on it that is what that was doing. or it could go on your ear lobe. Totally painless.
   — Rebekah S.

August 9, 2002
That first post should say "how well your red blood cells are carring oxygen." Sorry i keep posting, i am not a good editor.
   — Rebekah S.

August 9, 2002
Actually, depending on other factors, a reading of 95% could be just fine. Typically, anything above 94% is good. Don't be discouraged if you're not 100%. Correct spelling is oximiter. JK, N
   — Joya K.

August 9, 2002
I recently had one of these tests at home. I went to the hospital to get a small machine with a cord on it and the end of the cord was taped to the end of one of my fingers throughout the night. As I slept, it recorded how well my blood was getting oxygenated. This will help your Md and the anaesthesiologist determine what you will need during surgery and after surgery to make sure you are getting enough oxygen. It is painless and not hard at all. I have sleep apnea so my readings are low (85-90) unless I use my oxygen and my bi-pap machine. Good luck.
   — Julia O.

August 9, 2002
As a person who has had Biomedical training, I know that the pulse Ox is a test to see how much oxygen is in the blood. The light is able to detect the oxygen levels and display it as a number. If that number is too low, the hospital personnel will give you oxygen through your nose until the levels increase. This is the least painful test you will receive. It does not hurt at all. The only problem with me is that I had a faulty censor and when I put my arm up and grabbed the "trapeze" above my bed that is used to help me get in and out, the alarm would go off until I lowered my arm. I had to raise it because my shoulder hurt and that was the position that gave me the most relief. Believe me, the pulse ox is the least of your worries. Alot of other things hurt alot more but you will get through it.
   — Lawrence R.

August 10, 2002
Correct spelling is actually oximeter.
   — Laureen59

August 10, 2002
A pulse oximeter is used to measure the oxygen (O2) saturations in the blood. They simply put this little clothespin thing on your finger, and push a button on the machine which gives an O2 sat. reading. A perfect score is 100% oxygen, but at least 90% is what we like to see. That is not to say that below this is terrible, just not as good as it really should be in an otherwise healthy individual.
   — Tina B.