Pulse Oximeters for COVID-19 Home Care

With surging COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant, communities and hospital systems are in need of support once again. I am raising money on behalf of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group at Saint Louis University School of Medicine to purchase and donate FDA-approved pulse oximeters to the Emergency Department (ED). The ED will distribute pulse oximeters to patients with confirmed COVID-19 who do not meet criteria for admission and are discharged to recover at home.

COVID-19 patients with initially mild symptoms can develop clinically silent hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and may not realize they are decompensating until they are critically ill. Conversely, COVID-19 patients may seek emergency care despite absence of clinically significant hypoxia, which places an increased burden on the healthcare system. A home pulse oximeter will help patients monitor their oxygen levels which can lead to appropriate readmissions for hypoxic patients, reduce ED crowding, and limit unnecessary COVID-19 exposure among ED staff.

Each pulse oximeter kit is approximately $20. Please help us empower patients and protect our healthcare providers.