From 12 January 25,000 pulse oximeters will be distributed free of charge in 1200 Italian pharmacies for home monitoring of patients with respiratory diseases: this is the second phase of the MisuriAmo2 campaign, launched by the Italian Society of Pulmonology (Sip), in collaboration with Federfarma and the patronage of Fofi ( Federation of Italian Pharmacist Orders).
The goal is to promote the use of the oximeter to check blood oxygen levels in people with chronic respiratory diseases and Covid-19.
After a first phase of screening aimed at the entire population, with the free measurement of blood oxygen in the participating pharmacies, the second phase of the campaign will focus on monitoring the respiratory health of patients identified with respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, as part of a fact-finding survey, patients will carry out two measurements a day for eight days and will communicate the measured values to the pharmacist, who will record them anonymously on a special computer platform.
The collected data will be made available to SIP pulmonologists to study oxygen saturation levels in frail patients.
"This phase of the measuriAMO2 project has great significance as it marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration between local pharmacies and pulmonology specialists for the care of patients with chronic respiratory diseases assisted at home", comments the president of Federfarma, Marco Cossolo.
The pulse oximeter, adds Luca Richeldi, president of the Italian Society of Pneumology, "should be present in our homes almost like a second thermometer, while it is still too little known. People with respiratory diseases are at higher risk of serious complications if infected. from SarsCoV2 ".
Covid-19 patients are advised to check their condition with the oximeter, even in the absence of respiratory problems.