- Hello. My name is Matt Inada-Kim.
I'm a consultant in acute medicine
and the National Clinical Director
for Infection and Deterioration.
Your health professional has given you
or your carer a pulse oximeter to use at home.
They may have also asked you to use a paper diary
or a smartphone app with the pulse oximeter.
This is because when used together,
these are helpful in monitoring your condition
and your recovery from COVID-19.
For most people, COVID is a relatively mild viral illness,
but sometimes it can quickly become serious
and needs close monitoring.
The pulse oximeter measures your heart rate,
also known as your pulse,
and the level of oxygen in your blood,
while the diary or app allows you to record your results
and share them with your health professionals.
You may be caring for someone
and have been asked to take their readings.
You can watch this video with them
so that they can understand
what you're supporting them to do.
Measuring the level of oxygen in your blood is a good way
to keep an eye on your condition.
An ideal blood oxygen level is usually between 95 and 100%,
unless you have a longterm lung condition.
Your health professional will let you know
what is normal for you.
Usually, a low oxygen level causes shortness of breath,
a rapid breathing rate, and confusion,
but in COVID 19, some people do not show any of these signs.
This makes it difficult to spot
when your condition is changing.
If your oxygen level drops,
you're at risk of becoming unwell very quickly.
If the pulse oximeter shows a significant change
in your oxygen levels,
your health professional can quickly review you
if they need to and they might make changes to your care.
Pulse oximeters are easy to use
but must be used correctly to give accurate results.
They may look slightly different to the one shown
but they all provide the same information.
Before you begin, remove any nail polish or false snails
and warm your hands if they are cold.
Please make sure you've been resting
for at least five minutes before taking your measurements.
Rest your hand on your chest at heart level and hold still.
Switch the pulse oximeter on and place it on your finger.
It works best on your middle or index finger on either hand.
It should not be used on your ear.
You will see two readings on the screen.
One is your oxygen level and the other is your heart rate.
Be careful to identify which reading is which.
The oxygen reading takes time to steady.
Keep the pulse oximeter in place for at least a minute.
If the reading keeps changing,
you need to keep the oximeter on your finger
for more than one minute,
making notes of any reading that stayed the same
for at least five seconds.
The highest of these five second readings
is the one you need to record.
You can now remove the oximeter from your finger.
You may be asked to record your results on a smartphone app
or in a paper diary.
You'll get instructions on how to use the app
or diary along with the pulse oximeter.
If you need help with this,
please talk to your health professional.
Take recordings three times a day at the same time each day,
for example, when you normally eat breakfast in the morning,
at lunchtime, and in the evening.
Take extra measurements
if you feel there's been a change in your health.
You could set an alarm clock
to alert you every time you need to enter your results.
You will need to record your oxygen level, your pulse rate,
and how you are feeling.
An ideal heart rate is between 50 and 90 beats per minute.
If someone is able to count
the number of breaths you take in a minute,
please record this as well.
Record your temperature if you have a thermometer.
There are several instances when you should call for help.
Ring 111, your GP, or the COVID virtual ward
as soon as possible in the following situations:
your blood oxygen level is 93 or 94%
or continues to be lower than your usual reading,
you feel breathless or having difficulty breathing,
especially when standing up or moving,
you have severe muscle aches or tiredness,
shakes or shivers, or you sense that something is wrong.
For example, you may have general weakness,
severe tiredness, loss of appetite,
are peeing much less than normal,
or unable to care for yourself,
including washing, dressing, or making food.
You should go to your nearest A&E
or call 999 immediately in the following situations:
your blood oxygen levels are 92% or less.
Make sure you check your reading immediately.
You are enabled to complete short sentences when at rests
due to breathlessness, your breathing gets worse suddenly.
You should also call 999 or attend A&E immediately
if you develop more general signs of serious illness.
These include coughing up blood,
feeling cold and sweaty with pale or blotchy skin,
developing a rash that does not fade
when you roll a glass over it, collapsing or fainting,
becoming agitated, confused, or very drowsy,
or hardly passing any urine.
After 14 days,
you may be asked to return the pulse oximeter to your GP.
If you've been advised to start using a pulse oximeter,
start using it today.