Understanding Your Reading When interpreting the readings of a pulse oximeter, it’s important to understand what the numbers mean. The oxygen saturation level is shown on the device as SpO2.

The oximeter then compares the number of bright red cells to the number of dark red cells and thus, calculates oxygen saturation as a percentage. Pro-tip: If a person’s reading says 95%, it means that ...

Normal: The normal SpO2 level is between 95 to 100 per cent. Below normal: A reading below 95 is below normal. If your reading comes below 95, you should talk to your doctor immediately. Above ...

Researchers suspect that the inaccurate readings may be occurring because of the way the light is absorbed by darker skin pigments. A normal reading on a pulse oximeter typically ranges from 96 to ...

Pulse oximeters alert users when oxygen saturation levels drop below the normal range. False readings are possible and may occur if the device is not worn correctly.

Pulse oximeters were invented in 1974, and a body of research – dating to the 1980s – suggests that flawed pulse oximeter readings among Black and brown patients can be a real and life ...

Specifically, of 749 Black patients who had a pulse oximeter reading within a normal range, 11.7% of them actually had an arterial oxygen saturation of less than 88%.