Patients show up at a hospital seeking medical treatment to improve their health. But sometimes, they instead catch infections during their stay—known as hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). We will help you with how disposable SPO2 Sensors can bring down hospital acquired infections. Upon becoming aware of the threat, hospitals can take special measures to reduce the risk of patients acquiring infections. One way is to strictly follow protocols around cleaning and sterilizing reusable instruments. Another more reliable option is to maintain an inventory of single-patient use, disposable devices instead of reusables.
In this article, we’ll discuss HAIs, and how impactful it can be to stock up on disposable pulse oximetry sensors to make patient care safer.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)
Hospital-acquired infections are costly, common, potentially deadly, but easily preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in thirty-one patients catches a hospital-acquired infection.
The treatment costs for HAIs can range anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000, depending on the overall health of the patient and the type of infection they acquire. According to studies, imposing the right safety protocols and SOPs and, HAI risks can be slashed by 70%.
Reusable pulse oximetry sensors constitute an essential portion of those safety protocols.
What are SPO2 sensors?
SPO2 sensors. Or pulse oximeters, are health monitoring devices used to measure the saturation of oxygen in the blood, commonly referred to as your blood oxygen level. In the field of medicine, the typically used pulse oximeters are small instruments with the form factor of a clip. Recently, these finger pulse oximeters have largely grown in popularity. They can be attached to your fingertip, earlobe, or sometimes your toes for painless blood oxygen measurements. Both wearable trackers and medical oximeters use light to perform these tests.
A pulse oximeter typically has two LEDs built into it, each having different light wavelengths. One of them is infrared while the other is a red light. There is a measurable difference in the absorption of light between blood that lacks oxygen and blood that is normally saturated with oxygen.
Blood having higher oxygen saturation levels absorbs more infrared light rays, whereas blood that lacks oxygen lets more of it pass through. Pulse oximeters can painlessly, non-invasively, and quickly detect oxygen levels based on these light absorption variations, measuring how well oxygen gets carried to your extremities.
Finding the right sensor for patients
To optimize safer care according to the needs of the patients in your facility, factors to consider are the following three Cs;
- Condition
- Compliance
- Comfort
Patient condition
For patients struggling with low oxygen saturation or higher respiratory risks, accuracy tested disposable sensors can be invaluable. The disposable Nellcor™ pulse oximetry sensors with OxiMax™ technology have been tested for accuracy under low saturation conditions, and offer ±3 accuracy. You’ll find it here: https://www.sensoronics.com/products/medtronic-nellcor-oximax-max-n-disposable-spo2-sensors
Patient comfort and compliance
Patient compliance and comfort go hand in hand. Patients that require long-term pulse oximetry testing would certainly prefer disposable adhesive sensors, as they offer a natural fit. The more comfortable patients are, the more likely they are to comply.
