When a newborn comes into this world, he or she goes through a series of tests. These tests are designed to detect signs of various defects and illnesses. The accuracy and test validity is absolutely critical to the health of the newborn. This is especially true when you consider that the first few weeks are the most dangerous for newborns. One of the difficulties in testing newborns is not the technique, but rather the devices themselves. For obvious reasons, medical devices for newborns must be much smaller and must take into account more movement. Only medical device that has recently been updated to be used for newborns is the oximeter. The oximeter, also known as a pulse oximeter, is a medical device used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of a patient.
A recent study conducted by, "The Lancet," in the United Kingdom, revealed that an oximeter test on humans is a highly accurate test for congenital heart defects. These heart defects can range, but one example would be holes between the chambers in the heart and the valve. This type of defect is found in 1 out of 145 babies. This number might not seem big, but when you take into account the number of births daily throughout the world, it adds up very quickly. The oximeter test has proven to be vital to newborns. When the oxygen levels are too low or vary between the hands and feet, more detailed tests are conducted. The oximeter test takes less than five minutes, and it was proved to find almost 75% of most serious abnormalities. When the oximeter test is combined with other traditional methods, this number jumps from 75% to 92%.
The United Kingdom has already taken required steps to make the oximeter test required throughout all hospitals in the UK. The United States is also on the path of the same steps. Some states in the United States have already adopted the test, while others are pushing to get it approved through various research and board groups.
The oximeter test has proven to be accurate and successful. The device itself is not new to the medical field. It has been around for many decades, but mostly used only in clinical settings with table top units. With the advance of technology, new oximeters are compact and simply clip onto one's fingertip. The new technology has allowed the device to go from the hospital setting to the homes of millions.
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