I WENT TO THE DOCTOR TODAY, AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 2 WEEKS BECAUSE OF MY SINUSES AND THE FACT THAT I AM FINDING IT HARD TO GET ENOUGH AIR. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW YEARS NOW OFF AND ON. SHE SAID SHE THOUGHT I HAD CRHONIC BRONCHITIS OR ASTHMA. SHE THEN SAID SHE WANTED TO CHECK MY OXYGEN LEVEL. SHE PUT THIS THING ON MY FINGER AND SAID IT WAS NEGATIVE 7 PERCENT(-7%). I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS 93% OR WHAT. IF SO IS THAT A GOOD OXYGEN LEVEL OR NOT. BEFORE I LEFT SHE GAVE ME A STEROID SHOT, FLONASE, SINGULAR, AND COMBIVENT INHALER. I AM A 24 YEAR OLD FEMALE. THANKS FOR ANY REPLIES.

Are you sure it said NEGITIVE???
My finger test was 99 and the nurse said it was good...she actually said (It's okay) so I felt a little better..
Hope someone posts here for us..I'd like to know too...

I don't know why she said negative seven.

If she meant 93%, yes, that's fine.

Consider that the thing she put on your finger is not inherently reliable -- it's more of an educated guess and is to be taken with the way that the person looks. If the person looks like they've got no oxygen (like they're all blue and ready to pass out) but the oxygen level is showing 93%, I'd be less inclined to believe the oxygen level.

Carbon monoxide poisoning will show a falsely high reading. Dark nailpolish and too much movement will make it hard for it to pick up a signal. Putting it on a finger that has bad circulation will also make it hard for it to pick up a signal. Certain dyes they inject for some medical procedures will screw it up and make it read either falsely high or falsely low. People who've got anemia can have a falsely high reading. People with polycythemia (the opposite of anemia) can have a falsely low reading.

If they had been really worried, they would have drawn blood to check for sure. Don't worry about it.

[This message has been edited by wrin (edited 05-29-2003).]

There is a 2% plus or minus error allowable on the pulse ox so Doctors usually like to have you above 92% because at 91 it could really be 89, etc. and anything lower than 90 is cause for concern. Usually 88% means the person should be on supplemental O2. That is usually the figure insurance and Medicare uses to aualify for paid O2. Sometimes it can be OK at rest but drop upon exertion and this may require O2 at certain times.

My mother has moderate to extreme emphysema. Yesterday she had breathing tests done by a pulmonary specialist and failed miserably...under 43% lung capacity, yet her oxygen level on her finger was 96%....does this make sense?

Yes it does -- considering the problem with emphysema is not necessarily oxygenation, but ventilation.

Still with me?

Your lungs do 2 things -- one is get oxygen to you, the other is get rid of CO2. The biggest problem with emphysema is that your lungs tend to want to 'trap' air -- and don't get rid of CO2 as effectively.

With deep breathing (such as that for pulmonary function testing) it's very easy to get a good SpO2 with emphysema, unless you're REALLY REALLY REALLY bad.

Thank you so much for clarifying. I tried to read up on emphysema last night and get myself educated. My mother was a heavy smoker for over 50 years so this is no surprise to us. She is on 2 inhalers, but doesn't seem to be working and she's now going on a nebulizer 4 times a day, plus the inhalers. She is a couch potato and we feel this hasn't helped her lungs.

See if you can get her interested in a Better Breathers group or pulmonary rehab. It has made a world of difference for many people. She needs to get her whole body working right so she uses O2 more efficiently. Perhaps she needs to learn more about her disease and then she will be able to approach it more aggresively. Is she on the computer? There are some great forums. She needs to stay active, as active as possible. Maybe get her out to the mall or on a picnic, etc. just get her moving so she enjoys herself and she will feel better.

The thing about damage from COPD is that it's mostly irreversible -- lung function can improve but it can only improve so much. I doubt you'd want to see your mother tethered to an oxygen tank.

I can understand that it's a hard subject to broach, though. I'm hoping.