OBJECTIVE Determine whether ambient light affects the accuracy of pulse oximetry readings. DESIGN Prospective, repeated-measures study. SETTING A photographic darkroom. SUBJECTS Forty-five faculty and students at a university, none of whom had pale skin, dark skin, or evidence of cardiopulmonary disease. Any nail polish was removed. METHODS Five light sources were individually tested: i...

OBJECTIVE To explore the associations between decreased pulse oximetry values (SpO2) and clinical, laboratory, and demographic variables in general practice patients diagnosed with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including those with both COPD and asthma in combination. DESIGN/SETTING A cross-sectional study in seven Norwegian general practices of patients aged 40 year...

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of the study were to: (1) describe the aggregate strength of the relationship of arterial oxygen saturat ion as measured by pulse oximetry with the standard of arterial blood gas analysis as measured by co-oximetry, (2) examine how various factors affect this relationship, and (3) describe an aggregate estimate of the bias and precision be tween oxygen saturation as meas...

OBJECTIVE To compare blood pressure measurements in newborn infants using the flush method, pulse oximetry and oscillometry according to Doppler findings. METHODS Noninvasive blood pressure measurements were made using three techniques (flush method, pulse oximetry and oscillometry) in three groups of newborns: 15 normal term infants, 16 stable preterm infants, and 14 critically ill infants. ...

We read with great interest the article by Aldrich et al 1 in this issue of CHEST (see page 1484 ). In 2003, we reported our trial of measuring noninvasive arterial saturation during a pulseless situation (cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB]) by inducing a simulated pulse. 2 We were interested in fi nding a way to obtain pulse oximeter function during CPB at the time because we had experienced a morta...

Stokes (1) reported that the colored substance in blood carries oxygen. This was followed by Hoppe-Seyler (2), who first crystallized this substance and coined the term hemoglobin. Additionally, it was shown that the pattern of light absorption changes when shaken with air (2). Hertzman (3) described using photoelectric plethysmography of fingers and toes as a dynamic analysis of the peripheral...

Fetal well-being depends on the level of oxygenation in vital organs such as the heart and brain. In this review, we discuss the physiological parameters which underlie the use of pulse oximetry to evaluate fetal conditions intrapartum. Whilst the measurement of haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2) depends on partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), the relation is alinear, is relatively insensitive t...

Present methods of assessing pulp vitality (electric and thermal testing) are of limited use with children, often resulting in false positive or false negative results. Pulse oximetry is a proven, atraumatic method of measuring vascular health by evaluating oxygen saturation (SaO2). This pilot study explores the use of a modified pulse oximetry ear probe to assess pulpal vascular oxygen saturat...

INTRODUCTION Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most serious consequence of adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH). The gold standard diagnostic method is polysomnography (PSG) with nocturnal oximetry, but it requires expensive equipment, the presence of a technician and a specialized doctor, and is very time consuming, making the procedure difficult. The recording of pulse oximetry monit...

In reviewing the article “Methemoglobinemia: Sudden Dyspnea and Oxygen Desaturation After Esophagoduodenoscopy,” in the August 2004 issue of RESPIRATORY CARE,1 I found the article suggested that, during the esophagoduodenoscopy procedure the patient’s blood oxygen saturation (measured via pulse oximetry) began to drop rapidly, and a saturation of 54% registered on the pulse oximeter while the p...