Pulse oximetry: A reliable and cost effective screening tool in children with pneumonia for developing countries.

The infant mortality rates are high in developing countries and, according to World Health Organisation (WHO), statistics show that the main contributors are acute respiratory infections and pneumonia. In children hypoxaemia is an ominous sign associated with respiratory tract infections. Hypoxia can be detected easily with pulse oximetry. It is a non-invasive, readily available and cost-effective way to identify hypoxaemia. If we identify hypoxaemia at the primary care level, especially in a low-income setting, we can make early referral to tertiary care settings. This will subsequently have a positive impact in saving lives. A detailed search of Medline database was conducted through PubMed from 1990 to date, to review the literature on the usefulness of pulse oximetry at primary care centres in developing countries. Such information will become vital in formulating guidelines for income-poor countries in order to stratify high-risk children with hypoxaemia.