Faulty readings from cheap oximeters trigger panic

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 13.07.2020

With the demand for pulse oximeters increasing, low-cost devices have flooded market. Inaccurate readings of such kits are spreading panic among people, doctors say.

A pulse oximeter is a tool to monitor oxygen saturation level and can pick up Covid-induced hypoxia, lowoxygen level in the blood, early.

Tamil Nadu government, which has been campaigning the use of these kits and has so far procured 23,000 kits, will get another 20,000 kits by this week, said M R Vijayabaskar, state health minister.

With the government and doctors promoting the use of such kits, many households and commercial establishments began buying them, leading to a shortfall in the market. Several companies tried to cash in on the panic buying by selling oximeters at ₹800-₹1,000 online. A standard kit costs around more than ₹1,500 online and also in the drug stores.

But reviews posted by several buyers online suggest that readings of these kits were unreliable and fluctuated wildly.

Raghavan, a resident of Madipakkam, who bought one such low-cost kit, said the kit showed 98% oxygen saturation level for all his family members. “But that’s not possible. If we were to rely on this, we wouldn’t have known if there was an emergency that needed one of us to reach a hospital,” he said.

Public health expert K Kolandaisamy said the devices usually were accurate when showing high levels of oxygen saturation (above 90%) and might have slight variations while presenting lower levels.

“Readings might drop by three points in the afternoon and another two points further in the evening. Any significant drop beyond that indicates that either the patient needs medical attention or the equipment is faulty,” he said.

Medical experts said oximeters can be cross-checked by comparing readings with those taken using proper equipment at hospitals. Since it is not practically possible for all, it is better to get them from neighbourhood pharmacists whom residents are familiar with or from recognised medical equipment stores. One should not rely on cheaper products online or at fly-by-night suppliers in department stores and roadside shops, a doctor said.

Also, many WhatsApp messages and online videos recommend usage of oxygen canisters if the readings drop below 90%.

“Use of such cans without proper medical advice, particularly by smokers who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), could cause death and the best thing to do is to approach a nearby hospital,” said A B Gopalamurugan, senior interventional cardiologist from Kauvery Hospital.