Pulse Oximeters can Better Detect Covid-19 in Older Adults

Covid-19 can be detected faster with pulse oximeters in older adults. Early interventions can help older adults avoid highly invasive procedures (i.e., intubation) and improve the allocation of scarce healthcare resources.

Pulse oximeter helps in screening Covid-19 in older adults much faster than the usual checking of temperature, reveals a new study.

People have become accustomed to having their temperature checked during the pandemic because fever is a key indicator of COVID-19.

Pulse Oximeters: How Accurate Are They?
Pulse oximeters may not be accurate in detecting oxygen saturation particularly in dark skinned patients. FDA has warned about several factors that can affect its accuracy.

‘Early interventions can help older adults avoid highly invasive procedures (i.e., intubation) and improve the allocation of scarce healthcare resources.’

A new commentary by Washington State University College of Nursing Associate Professor Catherine Van Son and Clinical Assistant Professor Deborah Eti proposes that taking a temperature is a less useful indicator of infection in older adults and that a pulse oximeter be used instead.

The paper, published in Frontiers in Medicine, said baseline temperatures are lower in older adults. A lower baseline temperature means a fever may be overlooked using the CDC's standard definition of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater.

"In fact," the paper says, "upwards of 30% of older adults with serious infections show mild or no fever."

World's First Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter Tracks Measurements On Smart Mobile Devices
Using a tablet or smartphone clinicians can tap the data such as SpO2, pulse rate, and perfusion index obtained over a twelve-hour period.

Other common signs of COVID may also be dismissed and attributed to aging, such as fatigue, body aches and loss of taste or smell.

Additionally, some COVID-19 patients have no visible signs of having low oxygen levels, such as shortness of breath, yet have oxygen saturation below 90%. Such asymptomatic hypoxia can be associated with extremely poor outcomes.

Wearable Pulse Oximeter Based on Organic Electronics
Scientists have created a low-cost medical sensor that can be used to test blood oxygen levels without piercing the skin.

Van Son and Eti say inexpensive, portable pulse oximeters should be considered for wide use in COVID-19 screenings of older adults because the devices can detect changes in oxygen saturation without other indications of infection.

"Detecting (asymptomatic hypoxia) is critical for the prevention of infection progression and initiating treatment," they wrote. "Earlier interventions could help patients avoid highly invasive procedures (i.e., intubation) and improve the allocation of scarce healthcare resources."

COVID-19 Patients Need Pulse Oximeters for Home Treatment
Pulse oximeters are crucial for COVID-19 patients at home. These devices are simple and help detect pulse rate and oxygen saturation level to seek immediate medical help when required.

Source-Eurekalert