Ellie uses a continuous monitoring pulse ox during the night and when she is sick. There have been nights when we stumble out of bed because of incessant beeping and we are madly increasing oxygen, suctioning, rubbing her chest, etc to get her to breathe and get her sats up. Then we realize...the pulse ox is not attached and yes, the carpet's oxygen is maintaining a steady 68. Ha ha.
To resolve this problem we tape the pulse ox probe in place. We have found that if we leave a little bump in the probe wires (not pulling it tight against her skin) it stays on better and the probes don't wear out as fast.
We prefer the non-sticky probes (we like the velcro kind) they seen to last A LOT longer. Ellie does not move a lot, but our probes last anywhere from 1-3 months. I think the more your child moves the faster they wear out.
We use mefix. Ellie is really sensitive to adhesives, but the mefix does not bother her at all. I cut up a whole roll at a time and have a little stack of pre-cut mefix ready to go. There are even lines on the mefix that I cut on that make it the perfect length for this purpose.
On a slightly different note. I was told when she was little that red fingernail or toenail polish could affect the pulse ox reading. I have never found this to be the case.
How do you keep your pulse ox probe in place? What tips do you have for getting an accurate reading? Please "like" our FB page for more posts about raising a child with severe disabilities.
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