Pulse Oximeters - Doctor/Nurse Advice Please

We are having asthma problems with my son again, and haven't had a great nights sleep, up every 2-3 hours with him.

Have had a few visits to the childrens ward with this now, we are learning more each time and getting better at managing it at home with high doses of salbutamol and beclomethazone (approved by the hospital), prednisolone and citirizine.

It's very difficult to judge at home though when you cross that line between managing it at home with inhalers, and getting him into hospital and onto a nebuliser. I was minutes away at 2am last night from deciding "right get dressed and in the car, we are going to casualty" (fast pulse, big diaphragm and stomach movements, neck sucking inwards and shoulders rising with each breath, and a wheeze we could hear from our bedroom across the hall), then he fell asleep his breathing calmed down a bit. He's still pretty breathless now to the extent it's affecting his speech (sounds like he's just run a race), but nowhere near as concerning as he was last night.

So, I would like to buy a Finger Pulse Oximeter, to help deciding when we need to take him into hospital, if his oxygen level is at 98 or 99% then I'll just keep him under observation at home, if it drops to 96% or below, it's time to get into casualty and onto a nebuliser.

They can be bought for as little as £20, or you can spend over £100. I don't need anything complicated, just something to read pulse rate and oxygen level. That said though, I don't need an electronics gimmick, it needs to give an accurate reading.

Can anyone tell me if any of these for instance are a worthwhile model to buy? Do any of you use any of these models at work? Thanks

https://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=...w=1600&bih=775

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&k...qid=1337421852

Bumped for the evening surfers

[andrewsmith]

I'd speak to the consultant at the hospital (I'm presuming your young one is under the hospital), they have normally had a play with the ones the public can buy.
You maybe able to get one via the hospital as his asthma is severe

[dizzyblonde]

Has your GP ever offered the loan of a portable nebuliser?

I got one on loan for several weeks with Dylan.

Sorry to hear the wee fella is still having trouble Ralph

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

I'd speak to the consultant at the hospital (I'm presuming your young one is under the hospital), they have normally had a play with the ones the public can buy.
You maybe able to get one via the hospital as his asthma is severe

I'd second this. I used to work in a hospital repairing and commissioning the equipment and at times we had some of these devices come through the department destined for use in the community.

We had a couple of the BCI ones come through the department (in your google search) or at least ones from the same manufacturer and they passed our commissioning checks.

To be honest though most of them will give you an adequate enough indication for your needs but as ever never trust technology if you think your son needs t go to hospital!!!

It is always a good idea to ask at the hospital if they have any equipment that you can use at home, they often have stuff but they don't automatically offer it.

[Bibio]

i'm no doctor but is the wee man having most of his attacks while in bed?

Look at the accuracy figures. some more expensive ones have an accuracy of +/- 2% as do the cheapo ones. should do the job fine

Originally Posted by Bibio

i'm no doctor but is the wee man having most of his attacks while in bed?

^^ this however is a very good question as could lead to the discovery of other exacerbating factors

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

Has your GP ever offered the loan of a portable nebuliser?

I got one on loan for several weeks with Dylan.

Sorry to hear the wee fella is still having trouble Ralph

Ralph, I'll see which model we carry in our kit, but the Amazon one looks like it'll do the job.

But I'm in agreement with Dizz, as obviously the inhalers aren't doing it for the wee man, and I know the trauma you're going through, as my eldest suffered with asthma.

The neubuliser did the trick instantly with her, and would probably save you having to dash into hospital in the middle of the night, which is no good for you or him

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Bibio

i'm no doctor but is the wee man having most of his attacks while in bed?

My eldest used to have her attacks at night, hers could have been triggered by dust mites in cuddly toys, bedding etc. Always worse at night, but she's improved as she's got older.

Never did find what triggered her attacks, did move away from a busy main road so could have been diesel particulates setting hers off