Situation Report | March 1, 2021
Pulse Oximeters
In a new guidance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing patients and health care providers that although pulse oximetry is useful for estimating blood oxygen levels, pulse oximeters have limitations and a risk of inaccuracy under certain circumstances that should be considered. Patients with conditions such as COVID-19 who monitor their condition at home should pay attention to all signs and symptoms of their condition and communicate any concerns to their health care provider. The guidance includes recommendations for providers, patients and caregivers.
Respirators
3M recently released guidance to help customers identify fraudulent surgical respirators in response to growing reports of fraud related to three of its respirator models. The company strongly recommends purchasing 3M respirators only through authorized distributors to assure authentic product.