Word parts
What it means
A small clip (a pulse oximeter) shines red and infrared light through the skin and measures how much of the hemoglobin in the blood is carrying oxygenOK-sih-jenA gas in the air that every cell needs, also given as a medicine at higher amounts than room air.Full entry . The number it shows is the SpO2, the peripheral oxygen saturation, given as a percent; it also shows the pulse rate. A normal SpO2 is 95–100%, though some clients, such as many with COPDsee-oh-pee-dee (said as letters)Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs.chronic long-lastingobstructive blockingpulmon/o lung-ary relating toFull entry , have a lower target set by the provider.
For the nurse
Check that the probe is on a warm finger with a good pulse and that the waveform or signal is steady before you trust the number. Nail polish, artificial nails, cold hands, poor circulation and movement can all give a false reading, and in carbon monoxide poisoning the number can look normal when the client is not. Always look at the client too: breathing, color and mental status.
In a chart
"SpO2 91% on room air; placed on 2 L/min nasal cannula, now 95%."
Remember it
Oxi for oxygen, metry for measure: it measures the oxygen.
At a glance
| Normal range | SpO2 95–100% |
|---|---|
| Abbreviations | SpO2 (peripheral oxygen saturation) |
| Spanish | oximetría de pulso |
| Also written | pulse oximeter, pulse oximeters, pulse ox, pulse oximetries |
Related terms
oxygen
A gas in the air that every cell needs, also given as a medicine at higher amounts than room air.
hemoglobin
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.
oxygenation
The process of getting oxygen into the blood and delivering it to the body's tissues.
hypoxemia
A level of oxygen in the blood below normal.
saturation
How full something is; in nursing, usually the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen.