Pulse oximetry monitoring of sedated pediatric dental patients.

Hypoxemia is recognized as a major complication of sedating pediatric dental patients. Traditional methods of patient monitoring show changes only with moderate to severe hypoxemia. This study compared pulse oximetry, a new monitoring technology, to traditional techniques in their ability to detect hypoxemia in sedated children. The results demonstrated that pulse oximetry is a more sensitive monitor of mild to moderate hypoxemia than measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, or visual observation for cyanosis in sedated pediatric dental patients.