It’s crucial to clean the area where you plan to put the pulse oximeter. There should be no oils, lotions, or anything else on your skin where you’ll be placing it. Then, make sure to dry it off adequately enough.
For an infant who is over four pounds, place the cloth over the bottom at the middle of the big toe. Then, wrap it gently around the top of their big toe, making sure to place it comfortably and that it’s secure in place with the emitter directly on top and the detector at the bottom.
Put some pulse oximeter adhesive on the sensor cable so that it stays secure.
For a child who is under four pounds (a neonate), wrap the sensor all the way around their foot where their toes are, then put tape to keep the sensor cable in place. You may need to adjust or use a different site if this doesn’t work. Check on this every four to six hours to ensure that it stays on their foot, and you’re getting proper readings from the pulse oximeter. While the pulse oximeter can be a tricky device to use with an infant, these steps should make it possible to have an accurate reading and help provide quality care for newborn children.
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