wawrzynskivp
Well Known Member
Hello All,
How do we use a Pulse Oximeter if we don't live at sea level?
AOPA articles suggest we keep our oxygen saturation above 95% on our pulse oximeters as we climb unpressurized. I live at 6,800' and play much higher. I just got a pulse oximeter with waveform display and PI% ( a good one ). Sitting on my couch I put it on and saw 90-92% oxygen saturation!
I have done the hypoxia chamber many times so I know when I am hypoxic, at that moment I was not. The device must be wrong?
According to available articles and a few folks who work in the general medical industry, what I saw was normal for where I live. Long term exposure to reduced partial pressures of O2 encourage the body to maintain more red blood cells. So normal oxygen transport happens with lower blood saturation.
Okay, great I get that. Probably why it wasn't a struggle to fly around sans oxygen at cabin alts in the 20s when I was wearing a bag.
But how now do I (or anyone else who lives and breaths at altitude) use a pulse oximeter? Anyone come across guidance for this?
Obviously there is trial and error, the 'E' in experimental. But in this case that's probably not the way to go at least not in the cockpit.
How do we use a Pulse Oximeter if we don't live at sea level?
AOPA articles suggest we keep our oxygen saturation above 95% on our pulse oximeters as we climb unpressurized. I live at 6,800' and play much higher. I just got a pulse oximeter with waveform display and PI% ( a good one ). Sitting on my couch I put it on and saw 90-92% oxygen saturation!
I have done the hypoxia chamber many times so I know when I am hypoxic, at that moment I was not. The device must be wrong?
According to available articles and a few folks who work in the general medical industry, what I saw was normal for where I live. Long term exposure to reduced partial pressures of O2 encourage the body to maintain more red blood cells. So normal oxygen transport happens with lower blood saturation.
Okay, great I get that. Probably why it wasn't a struggle to fly around sans oxygen at cabin alts in the 20s when I was wearing a bag.
But how now do I (or anyone else who lives and breaths at altitude) use a pulse oximeter? Anyone come across guidance for this?
Obviously there is trial and error, the 'E' in experimental. But in this case that's probably not the way to go at least not in the cockpit.
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