Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pulse Oximeters were generally only seen in a hospital or medical setting and used by elite athletes, pilots, high altitude climbers or those suffering from chronic conditions such as COPD and asthma and other cardiorespiratory / cardiopulmonary conditions. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged, and health systems buckled, the need to monitor one’s own blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels at home became widely recognized as an important part of dealing with COVID. Many have now made pulse oximeters an essential part of their home first aid kit or medicine cabinet, as digital thermometers have been for decades.
One study in South Africa found that patients who monitored blood oxygen levels at home using a pulse oximeter had 50% less chance of dying from COVID as they were able to detect a deterioration in their condition earlier and succumbing to “silent hypoxia”.
Concern Over The Accuracy Of Cheap Pulse Oximeters Purchased Online
The widespread increase of popularity and use of Pulse Oximeters has led to a flood of cheap pulse oximeters in the market. It is even possible to purchase a pulse oximeter on eBay, Kogan or Amazon for under $20. This has led to numerous warnings by government health departments and bodies such as TGA regarding the accuracy and reliability of pulse oximeters, and the implicit trust people have placed in cheap pulse oximeters available online.
Their concern is valid. For example, if a cheap digital thermometer was inaccurate and failed to pick up a high fever in your child resulting in them becoming seriously ill, the outcome could be devastating. Whilst we can often easily tell when someone has a raised body temperature by touch (cross-checking the thermometer’s reading), it isn’t possible to gauge one’s blood oxygen levels without a pulse oximeter.
So if you have purchased a cheap pulse oximeter online, how do you know if its measurements are accurate and can be trusted?
Why You Should Stay Away From Cheap Pulse Oximeters
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Apart from poor construction, the reliability and accuracy of cheap pulse oximeters sourced overseas and sold online (through eBay, Kogan, Amazon and new fly-by-night websites that have recently popped up capitalising on the COVID-19 crisis selling pulse oximeters) can be called into question.
This isn’t to say that every affordable pulse oximeter isn’t accurate, but rather, what assurance do we have that these pulse oximeters can be trusted? Many of the cheap pulse oximeters sold online do not have TGA approval, FDA / CE registrations and have not undergone clinical validation.
So how can you determine whether a pulse oximeter is accurate and can be trusted? If a pulse oximeter fulfils the following criteria, you can have reasonable assurance that the pulse oximeter can be trusted:
- Is the pulse oximeter TGA approved? If so, what is its ARTG number?
- If it is yet to be TGA approved, is the pulse oximeter FDA Registered?
- Is the pulse oximeter sold internationally?
- Has the pulse oximeter been clinically validated / clinically tested?
- Is the device used by medical professionals, doctors, hospitals?
- Is it a medical grade pulse oximeter?
Based on the criteria above, of great concern is that the first ranked article on Google for a search of “best pulse oximeter in Australia” is an article “Where to buy pulse oximeters in Australia” on bhg.com.au - lists 5 cheap pulse oximeters, and not a single one of these pulse oximeters list TGA approval or clinical validation in the respective product descriptions.
So is it possible to purchase a clinically validated, TGA approved fingertip pulse oximeter online in Australia today?
Why Can You Trust The iHealth AIR (PO3M) Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter?
The iHealth Air PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse oximeter is an excellent choice if you are searching for a clinically validated, medical-grade, TGA approved pulse oximeter. The iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter is trusted by medical professionals not only in Australia, but all over the world, due to its accuracy, reliability and durability.
(FitTrack Australia recommends consultation with your healthcare provider for advice on the suitability of pulse oximeters for your personal health needs. Home pulse oximeter use does not replace professional medical consultation or advice from your doctor or health care provider)
So how does the iHealth AIR PO3M Fingertip Pulse Oximeter measure up to the criteria listed above?
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter TGA approved? If so, what is its ARTG number? Yes the iHealth AIR PO3M Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is TGA Approved. Its ARTG number is: 226596
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter FDA Registered? Yes, the iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is FDA registered.
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter sold internationally? Yes, the iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is sold worldwide.
- Has the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter been clinically validated / clinically tested? Yes, the iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is clinically validated and tested.
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter used by medical professionals, doctors, hospitals? Yes, the iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is used by doctors, nurses, medical professionals in clinics and hospitals throughout Australia and worldwide.
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter a medical grade pulse oximeter? Yes, because of being clinically tested and TGA approved, the iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is recognized as a medical grade fingertip pulse oximeter
- Is the iHealth AIR PO3M pulse oximeter accurate? Yes the iHealth AIR PO3m Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter has been tested to have an SpO2 precision rate of ± 2% (SpO2 range: 70 - 99%)
The iHealth Air pulse oximeter is a ‘smart device’ in that it is wireless and connects via bluetooth to the companion app (iHealth MyVitals). This powerful wireless connectivity not only enables measurements (SpO2, Plethysmograph, Heart Rate) to be tracked in real time on the app, but enables the device to be used for telemedicine and remote patient monitoring (if you are a health care provider and are interested in Remote Patient Monitoring, do not hesitate to contact us for further details). The iHealth AIR Pulse Oximeter can accurately measure the oxygen saturation of your blood.
The fact that the iHealth AIR Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is clinically validated, TGA approved and used by medical professionals throughout Australia gives you confidence that this is a medical grade device that is reliable, accurate and can be trusted.
iHealth AIR PO3M Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter Features
Wireless
The iHealth AIR PO3m Wireless Fingertip Pulse Oximeter is a wireless device which syncs via bluetooth to the companion app (iHealth MyVitals) on your phone / tablet. It enables real time measurement display (SpO2, Plethysmograph, Heart Rate & PI) and also allows you to share results with your healthcare provider.
Measurements:
- Plethysmograph: The plethysmograph can visually represent your heart rate. If you see a steady waveform then you have a good and steady blood flow.
- SpO2: Blood oxygen saturation levels
- Perfusion Index: this is a numerical representation of your pulse's intensity. The higher the number measured, the greater the power of your pulse.
- Pulse / Heart Rate
Powerful Digital Logbook
This iHealth AIR pulse oximeter syncs with the iHealth Myvitals app. This is a mobile medical record of your SpO2 and pulse history. The app also syncs with the whole iHealth ecosystem of connected health devices.
Clinically-Tested Accuracy
The iHealth pulse oximeter has an Advanced Accuracy algorithm built-in to ensure your measurements. The iHealth AIR pulse oximeter has been clinically validated by an external / independent body.
Li-ion Battery Built-In
The iHealth pulse oximeter is a rechargeable device with built-in Li-ion 3.7V 390 mAh battery. It is recharged using a micro-USB cable.
What If I Don’t Need A 'Medical Grade' Device?
If you are a sports enthusiast, climber, pilot or simply don’t have a need for a medical grade, TGA approved pulse oximeter or a looking for a reliable and affordable pulse oximeter, FitTrack Australia also has Jumper Medical pulse oximeters in stock including the Jumper Medical JPD-500D and JPD-500H children’s pulse oximeters. These pulse oximeters are FDA registered. We also have a range of hybrid smartwatches (Withings Scanwatch) which can perform SpO2 measurements.
It is important to consult with your healthcare provider or doctor for advice on the suitability of pulse oximeters for your personal health needs. Home pulse oximeter use does not replace professional medical consultation, advice diagnosis and assessment from your doctor or health care provider.
References:
- Do I Still Need a Pulse Oximeter?
- The Impact of Routine Pulse Oximetry Use on Outcomes in COVID-19-Infected Patients at Increased Risk of Severe Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
- Oxygen saturation monitors/pulse oximeters for COVID-19
- Limitations of pulse oximeters and the effect of skin pigmentation
- FDA Registration of the iHealth AIR Pulse Oximeter
- iHealth gets FDA clearance for medical-grade pulse ox