HealthInfo Canterbury

How to use a pulse oximeter for children

A pulse oximeter is a small, painless device that clips on your child's finger and uses light beams in a sensor to estimate the amount of oxygen in their blood without taking a blood sample. This helps to track and assess how well their lungs are working.

A pulse oximeter measures two things.

• Pulse – this is a measure of how fast your child's heart is beating. Your child's pulse is measured in beats per minute (bpm). On your device, this number may show as bpm or PRbpm (pulse rate/beats per minute).
• Oxygen saturation level – this is a measure of how much oxygen is in your child's blood. Oxygen saturation is measured as a percentage (scored out of 100). On your device, this number may show as SpO2% (saturation percentage of oxygen).

Choosing a pulse oximeter for your child

Children over 30 kg (10 years or older if you don't know your child's weight)

You can use an adult pulse oximeter for your tamaiti as long as their finger goes all the way to the end of the probe. Using an adult oximeter on smaller tamariki (children) may give an inaccurate reading.

Children under 30 kg (9 years or younger if you don't know your child's weight)

Tamariki under 30 kg need a pulse oximeter for a tamaiti. This may either be an oximeter that:

• clips on their finger with a child-sized clip
• wraps around their finger with tape.

Using a pulse oximeter

There are different brands of these devices – please read the manufacturer's instructions.

The following is a general guide. Ask your COVID-19 healthcare team if you have any questions.

Preparing

• Wash your child's hands.
• Make sure they don't have any nail polish or glitter on – the light beams in the sensor measure through your child's fingernail.
• Make sure your tamaiti has been resting for at least five minutes before taking the reading.
• If your child's hands are cold, warm them by rubbing them together.
• Rest your child's arm and hand and keep them still while taking your reading.
• Their hand should be at waist level. For example, resting on a table or chair arm.

Taking the reading

• Switch the pulse oximeter on and the display will light up.
• If using a pulse oximeter with a clip, squeeze it to open it, and insert your child's finger until their fingertip touches the end.
• If using a pulse oximeter with tape, make sure the two surfaces are on opposite sides of the finger and keep them in place by wrapping the tape around.
• The pulse oximeter works best on the middle or index finger of either hand.
• Keep your child's hand still and wait for one to two minutes until their pulse (bpm or PRbpm) is steady and their oxygen saturation (SpO2%) number hasn't changed for five seconds or more.
• If the numbers aren't steady, try a different finger.

Recording the numbers

• Record the oxygen saturation number (SpO2%) and pulse rate number (bpm or PRbpm) in your child's COVID-19 health and symptom diary.
• The pulse rate and oxygen saturation numbers are easy to mix up. Be careful to record these correctly.
• Measure and record your child's pulse rate and oxygen saturation three times a day at about the same times each day.
• These numbers will help your child's COVID-19 healthcare team monitor them safely at home.
• Take extra measurements if you notice a change in the health of your tamaiti.
• To clean your device, check the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pulse oximeter numbers

The following is a guide for tamariki children who usually have normal saturation levels.

Oxygen saturation SpO2%	Action
95 to 99	Acceptable.
92 to 94	Call your COVID-19 healthcare team.
Below 92	Call 111 for urgent medical care.

Your COVID-19 healthcare team may give you specific advice about what action to take for your tamaiti child at different oxygen saturation levels. For example, if your tamaiti normally has low oxygen saturation because of congenital heart disease, the advice may be:

• a drop of 3% or more from their usual level – call your COVID-19 healthcare team
• a drop of 6% or more from their usual level – call 111.

Other signs of low oxygen

Don't solely rely on a pulse oximeter to assess the health condition or oxygen level of your tamaiti.

Other signs of low oxygen levels are if your tamaiti:

• has blue lips or tongue
• has severe difficulty breathing
• has any episodes of irregular or stopping breathing
• is unconscious or you can't wake them properly.

Check other signs that show your baby or child might be struggling to breathe.

If you have any concerns or questions, contact your COVID-19 healthcare team.

  HealthInfo recommends the following videos

• Healthify He Puna Wairoa – How to use a pulse oximeter

  Information about how to use a pulse oximeter and when to seek medical advice.

Content shared between HealthInfo Canterbury, KidsHealth and Health Navigator NZ as part of a National Health Content Hub collaborative. Last reviewed February 2022.

Page reference: 938157

Review key: HICOV-710714