Matthew E Wieler1,2, Thomas G Murphy3,4, Mira Blecherman5, Hiral Mehta3,6, G Jesse Bender3,7. 1. Women & Infants' Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. matthew.wieler@gmail.com. 2. University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. matthew.wieler@gmail.com. 3. Women & Infants' Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. 4. Goryeb Children's Hospital, Morristown, NJ, USA. 5. New York University, New York, NY, USA. 6. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 7. Mission Health System, Asheville, NC, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of using an ordinary digital video camera to measure heart rate and detect oxygen desaturations in healthy infants. STUDY DESIGN: Heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured with a video camera by detecting small color changes in 28 infants' foreheads and compared with standard pulse oximetry measures. Multivariable regression examined the relationship between infant characteristics and heart-rate measurement precision. RESULTS: The average bias of camera heart-rate measures was -4.2 beats per minute (BPM) and 95% limits of agreement were ±43.8 BPM. Desaturations detected by camera were 75% sensitive (15/20) and had a positive predictive value of 20% (15/74). Lower birth-weight was independently correlated with more precise heart-rate measures (8.05 BPM per kg, [95% CI 0.764-15.3]). CONCLUSIONS: A digital video camera provides accurate but imprecise measures of infant heart rate and may provide a rough screening tool for oxygen desaturations.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of using an ordinary digital video camera to measure heart rate and detect oxygen desaturations in healthy infants. STUDY DESIGN: Heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured with a video camera by detecting small color changes in 28 infants' foreheads and compared with standard pulse oximetry measures. Multivariable regression examined the relationship between infant characteristics and heart-rate measurement precision. RESULTS: The average bias of camera heart-rate measures was -4.2 beats per minute (BPM) and 95% limits of agreement were ±43.8 BPM. Desaturations detected by camera were 75% sensitive (15/20) and had a positive predictive value of 20% (15/74). Lower birth-weight was independently correlated with more precise heart-rate measures (8.05 BPM per kg, [95% CI 0.764-15.3]). CONCLUSIONS: A digital video camera provides accurate but imprecise measures of infant heart rate and may provide a rough screening tool for oxygen desaturations.