O2 home monitoring

I've seen various devices for monitoring O2 levels at home.

Is there a consensus as to how best to go about this?

Which device/technology/etc.?

6 months and still waiting for my insurance's 50% cpap machine coverage check, so I'm not counting on insurance coverage for an O2 device.

Thank you,

Joseph

Most DME's will rent the pulse/oxi meters for around $30 a night unless you have a need for one on a long term usage.

Any suggestions as to who to call? Must it be a local sleep lab or a DME anywhere?

Any suggestions as to which models to look into?

It was a discussion here about a month ago on that topic. I am currently looking to buy an oximeter. The reliable one is about 500 dollars.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I searches for oximeter, pulse, and o2 and got no hits

Joseph......

Check out "turnermedical.com" as a source for your Oximeter. I purchased from them and the deal went nicely.

My general health is very good, so my wrist-mounted oximeter is not a "life or death" matter. I use it once every 10 days or so to be sure that my CPAP is doing the job.

I looked a long time before purchasing......and I'm a careful buyer. I have good abilities in the "mechanical/electrical/computer" fields, so I had a pretty fair idea of what to look for.

My biggest concern was the difference between the standard software that came with the SPO 7500.....and the Profox software that most doctors and hospitals use. I consulted with James Skinner who was familiar with both....and he said that the SPO software was more than adequate.

I purchased the SPO 7500 and I'm very pleased. The cost was $479.00 delivered....including good software. Spending any more would have been a waste.

Probably the biggest benefit that I've experienced with my oximeter is letting my soul-mate use it....to confirm a suspicion that she has an apnea/hypopnea problem just like I do. She gathered O2 saturation data on herself for about 25-nights......and was able to get a clear picture of the extent of her disorder.

If you figure that it's worth $30.00 per night to rent an Oximeter, about 16-nights will pay for it. Also, the data you get is better because it all comes from your own machine.....not a mixture of different machines with possible slightly different calibrations. Also, you are downloading the data into your own computer......where it is stored....so that you can compare data from different nights over a long period of time. Running your own show is always better.

Finally, SPO offered....what I consider to be....a better sensor (for my finger). It's a little silicone rubber cup that just slips on your finger....and turns on the oximeter automatically.

One of the crappy experiences of my "sleep test / titration" process was the "clothes-pin" like device they clipped on me......which hurt all night....BOTH nights. Needless to say, I won't do that again.

I hope this helps you.....PM me if you need more info.

Gerald

Gerald,

Thank you so much for the info, history and recommendation.

I looked at the SPO 7500 several months ago but was told that it had some serious flaws and certain retailers were refusing to sell it. Perhaps the problems have been rectified.

I was also concerned about the accuracy.

Does the rubber cap come standard with the unit?

Is there a way to integrate the Encore data with the SPO 7500 data to see if desats coincide with hypopneas/apneas?

I'm certainly very tempted indeed.

Joseph

Joseph.....

The VitaBase software that comes with the 7500 doesn't work "with" the EncorePro software.....except that they both have a "time line" system so that you can see when (approximate time) events occurred. You can lay the reports side by side.....and get a pretty good idea of correlations.

Unless your health is really bad....and you need super accurate correlation....I'll bet that you'll be pleased at what you can do "separately" with each software program.

The "cup" is standard now....and I like it. Understand though, it squeezes your finger a bit....but, not enough to keep you awake. After a little while, your brain just ignores that it's on your finger.

If you look back at an earlier post that I made concerning difficulty I experienced with my 7500, you'll get an even better idea about good factory support SPO offers. My battery went dead after about (25) all-night tests....and because i didn't understand the characteristics of a Lithium battery, I thought there was something wrong with the 7500.

What was wrong was "operator error"....me being the "operator".

I haven't found anything (yet) that I don't like about the 7500. It fits my needs perfectly.

Gerald

Joseph.....

I didn't address your question about the "accuracy" of the 7500. I've checked myself.....and my soul-mate has checked herself.

CPAP keeps my O2 levels right up where they should be.

Without CPAP, my lady sometimes drops into the 70's.

Comparing me with her, the differences I see help me be sure that the accuracy is good enough.

I think the 7500 is the best all-round "value" for people like me....who just want to occasionally check the effectiveness of my CPAP machine. The whole idea is to keep the "desat monster" from sneaking up on me.

I'm content that the 7500 will give me plenty of warning.

Most of the DMEs do NOT charge for this service and it can be done periodically on a doctor's prescription.
I would say that before you plunk down many hundreds of dollars for O2 meters and software, talk to your doctor and see if he'll write you a prescription for an overnight pulse-ox study (and/or periodically) and see how it goes.

Den

I read elsewhere that there is a freeware (donations accepted if you like it) called MyOxiDump that will work w/virtually "all" oximeters that will coordinate w/your xPAP software. A search on MyOxiDump will bring up further info (both a google search and try in this forum too 'cause I think it was at this forum that I saw the info, just don't remember who posted it). It does work w/the SPO 7500.