Pulse oximetry may be used to see if there is enough oxygen in the blood. This information is needed in many kinds of situations.

It may be used:

• During or after surgery or procedures that use sedation
• To see how well lung medicines are working
• To check a person’s ability to handle increased activity levels
• To see if a ventilator is needed to help with breathing, or to see how well it’s working
• To check a person has moments when breathing stops during sleep (sleep apnea)

Pulse oximetry is also used to check the health of a person with any condition that affects blood oxygen levels, such as:

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Anemia
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Pneumonia