What to Write Down With Each Pulse Oximeter Reading
Short answer: for every reading, note the date and time, SpO2, pulse, what you were doing (resting, after activity, waking, sleeping), whether you were on oxygen and at what flow, whether you had just used an inhaler or nebuliser, and any symptoms. Context turns a number into something your care team can interpret.
The basics
- Date and time — the time you took the reading, not when you wrote it down.
- SpO2 — the steady value, as a whole number.
- Pulse — beats per minute from the same reading.
The situation
The same person can have different numbers resting, right after climbing stairs, just after waking or during sleep. Write which one it was. Comparing averages by situation is often more useful than one overall average.
Oxygen and medicines
- On oxygen? Write the flow in litres per minute (L/min) or the setting you used.
- After an inhaler or nebuliser? Note it, and roughly how long ago.
- New medicine or changed dose? A one-line note on the day it changed makes the graph much easier to read.
How you feel
Short notes like "more breathless than usual", "chest cold", "good day" help connect numbers to symptoms. Keep them brief and factual.
Anything that could affect the reading
Cold hands, a repeated reading, nail polish, a different finger or a new oximeter. These help explain an odd number without deleting it.
A sample entry
Tue 08:10 · SpO2 94 · pulse 82 · on waking · no oxygen · note: slept badly
How Satwell helps
Satwell's log screen has every one of these fields: SpO2 and pulse steppers, a one-tap situation (resting, after activity, on waking, sleeping, on oxygen with L/min, after inhaler), optional temperature and a note, and a date and time you can change for readings you enter later. All of it goes into the PDF report and CSV export.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Your care team decides what numbers matter for you and what to do about them. If you feel unwell, follow your care plan or seek urgent help whatever your oximeter shows. Satwell requires a separate fingertip pulse oximeter and does not measure, diagnose or treat.
FAQ
Do I need to record my pulse as well as SpO2?
Most oximeters show both, and pulse often explains a reading — for example a higher pulse right after activity. Logging both costs a second and gives your care team more to go on.
Should I log my temperature too?
If your care team asked, or you are recovering from an infection, adding temperature next to the reading can be useful. Otherwise it is optional.
What if I forgot to log a reading?
Add it later with the actual time it was taken, not the time you remembered. A note like "entered later" keeps the log honest.