Final answer:
A pulse oximeter can show artificially low oxygen saturation in patients with anemia because of the reduced number of hemoglobin sites available for oxygen binding.
Step-by-step explanation:
A pulse oximeter can register an artificially low oxygen saturation measurement for a patient with anemia. The device measures the percentage of hemoglobin sites occupied by oxygen in the blood (“percent sat”). In anemia, due to insufficient hemoglobin, there are fewer sites for oxygen to bind to, which can result in low readings even if the actual saturation of available hemoglobin is normal. Conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes may also affect pulse oximetry readings, but anemia is specifically known to cause an artificially low saturation measurement due to inadequate hemoglobin concentration.