AIM: To determine whether individualised limits for arterial oxyhaemaglobin saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)) are more effective for detecting hypoxia and hyperoxia in sick newborn infants than setting fixed limits. METHODS: Six hundred and ninety two simultaneous measurements of SpO(2) and partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO(2)) were made in 95 infants. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting hypoxia and hyperoxia using various fixed SpO(2) limits and also individualised SpO(2) limits, calculated using a standard equation, were determined and compared. RESULTS: None of the fixed limits for SpO(2) was both sensitive and specific for predicting hypoxia and/or hyperoxia. There was no difference between these and individualised limits. CONCLUSION: Individualised SpO(2) limits are no more effective than fixed SpO(2) limits for predicting hypoxia and/or hyperoxia in sick newborn infants. SpO(2) monitoring is not an ideal method for assessing PaO(2).
AIM: To determine whether individualised limits for arterial oxyhaemaglobin saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)) are more effective for detecting hypoxia and hyperoxia in sick newborn infants than setting fixed limits. METHODS: Six hundred and ninety two simultaneous measurements of SpO(2) and partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO(2)) were made in 95 infants. The sensitivity and specificity for predicting hypoxia and hyperoxia using various fixed SpO(2) limits and also individualised SpO(2) limits, calculated using a standard equation, were determined and compared. RESULTS: None of the fixed limits for SpO(2) was both sensitive and specific for predicting hypoxia and/or hyperoxia. There was no difference between these and individualised limits. CONCLUSION: Individualised SpO(2) limits are no more effective than fixed SpO(2) limits for predicting hypoxia and/or hyperoxia in sick newborn infants. SpO(2) monitoring is not an ideal method for assessing PaO(2).
Authors: J T Flynn; E Bancalari; E S Snyder; R N Goldberg; W Feuer; J Cassady; J Schiffman; H I Feldman; B Bachynski; E Buckley Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1992-04-16 Impact factor: 91.245