MightySat

Pulse oximetry is recognized as the fifth vital sign – together with temperature, respirations, pulse, temperature and blood pressure, it is routinely obtained at most medical visits.   While many stand alone pulse oximeters cost upwards of $1000 or more, there are many lower priced “fingertip” units that can connect via cables or better yet via bluetooth wireless connections to a tablet or smartphone.  The Masimo MightySat is a standout that provides accurate readings, shows the pulse, pulse waveform, perfusion index on your smartphone .  It features a colored touch screen that will display vertically or horizontally, even when used a finger of either hand.   It provides readings in situations of low perfusion or even when a patient is moving or shivering.  When the app is loaded on your smart device it finds the MightySat quickly.  You can’t beat the price of $300 and available for ios as well as android devices.

Keep in mind that while the device can be used for spot readings, it can also be used for continuously monitoring a patient. The bluetooth connectivity reaches distances of 10 to 15 meters or more. This lets you have a poor man’s remote monitoring system at a fraction of the cost.  It communicates through walls, around corners, etc. so it is easy to monitor a patient prior to , during and after a nebulizer treatment or in any situation when monitoring the pulse and/or pulse oximeter readings would be useful.