How to measure blood oxygen: methods and precautions
Blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) is an important indicator to measure the oxygen content in the blood. Especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, monitoring blood oxygen at home has become a hot topic. Below is a detailed guide to blood oxygen measurement, combined with relevant data from recent hot topics.
1. The importance of blood oxygen measurement
Recent data shows that about 30% of adults worldwide are at risk of hypoxemia, and the use of home monitoring equipment has increased by 45% year-on-year. The following is the statistics of keywords related to blood oxygen in popular health topics in the past 10 days:
| keywords | Search volume (10,000 times) | Related hot spots |
|---|---|---|
| oximeter | 120 | Respiratory diseases are more common in winter |
| Smart watch measures blood oxygen | 85 | Wearable device technology controversies |
| Symptoms of hypoxemia | 62 | Discussion on the sequelae of COVID-19 |
2. Three methods of measuring blood oxygen
1.Finger clip oximeter: Medical grade equipment, error rate is only ±2%
2.Smart watch/bracelet: Convenient but subject to 10%-15% error (FDA warning)
3.Hospital arterial blood gas analysis: Gold standard, requires professional operation
| Device type | Accuracy | Applicable scenarios | reference price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical oximeter | 95%-98% | Home/clinical | ¥80-300 |
| flagship smartwatch | 85%-90% | daily monitoring | ¥2000+ |
| portable pulse oxygen | 90%-93% | outdoor sports | ¥500-800 |
3. Correct measurement steps (taking the finger clip type as an example)
1. Clean your fingers and remove nail polish
2. Clamp the device on your index or middle finger, with the nail facing upwards
3. Remain still for 1-2 minutes and avoid talking
4. Read stable value: normal range is 95%-100%
4. Precautions
•Measurement time: The quiet state is best in the morning (recent research shows that blood oxygen in the morning is 3% higher on average than at night)
•Exception handling: Medical treatment is required if 3 consecutive measurements <92%
•Equipment maintenance:Clean the sensor weekly with alcohol pads
5. Latest industry trends
According to the latest "Wearable Medical Device White Paper" released in December, the blood oxygen monitoring function has become a standard feature of smart watches, but the State Food and Drug Administration reminds: non-medical device registered products cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis. The following are recent relevant announcements:
| Date | event | Issuing agency |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-05 | Carry out special inspection of oximeter quality | State Bureau of Municipal Supervision |
| 2023-12-08 | Update blood oxygen measurement technical standards | National Health Commission |
It is recommended that consumers choose products with a "Medical Device Registration Certificate" (such as Guangdong Medical Device Registration No. 202XXXXXX) and purchase them through formal channels. Correctly monitoring blood oxygen can effectively warn of health risks, but it requires comprehensive judgment combined with professional medical advice.
check the details
check the details
en
