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9 Monitoring SpO
2
Understanding SpO
2
Alarms
140
Understanding SpO
2
Alarms
This refers to SpO
2
specific alarms. See the Alarms section for general alarm information. SpO
2
offers
high and low limit alarms, and a high priority desat alarm. You cannot set the low alarm limit below
the desat alarm limit.
CAUTION If you measure SpO
2
on a limb that has an inflated NBP cuff, a non-pulsatile SpO
2
INOP can occur.
If the monitor is configured to suppress this alarm there may be a delay of up to 60 seconds in
indicating critical patient status, such as sudden pulse loss or hypoxia.
Alarm Delays
There is a delay between a physiological event at the measurement site and the corresponding alarm at
the monitor. This delay has two components:
• The time between the occurrence of the physiological event and when this event is represented by
the displayed numerical values. This delay depends on the algorithmic processing and the
configured averaging time. The longer the averaging time configured, the longer the time needed
until the numerical values reflect the physiological event.
• The time between the displayed numerical values crossing an alarm limit and the alarm indication
on the monitor. This delay is the combination of the configured alarm delay time plus the general
system delay time (see “Monitor Performance Specifications” on page 342).
Adjusting the Alarm Limits
In the Setup SpO
2
menu:
•Select
High Limit then choose the upper alarm limit.
•Select
Low Limit then choose the lower alarm limit.
WARNING High oxygen levels may predispose a premature infant to retrolental fibroplasia. If this is a
consideration do NOT set the high alarm limit to 100%, which is equivalent to switching the alarm
off. Transcutaneous pO
2
monitoring is recommended for premature infants receiving supplemental
oxygen.
Adjusting the Desat Limit Alarm
The Desat alarm is a high priority (red) alarm notifying you of potentially life threatening drops in
oxygen saturation.
1 In the Setup SpO
2
menu, select Desat Limit.
2 Adjust the limit.
Pleth Wave
The Pleth wave is autoscaled to maximum display size. It decreases only when the signal quality
becomes marginal. It is NOT directly proportional to the pulse volume. If you need an indication of
change in pulse volume, use the perfusion indicator.