Accuracy of pulse oximeter readings from probe placement on newborn wrist and ankle
Journal of Perinatology, 07/22/2011
Phattraprayoon N et al. – These results show that the wrist and ankle can be used as alternative sites to measure pulse oximetry oxygen saturation (SpO2) in newborn infants in place of the routinely used palm or sole.
Methods- In this prospective observational study, neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were enrolled.
- The authors recorded SpO2 (Masimo Radical-7 pulse oximeter) detected at the palm and ipsilateral wrist initially, then at 30s, and at 1min, and they repeated the same procedure over the sole and ipsilateral ankle.
- They recorded the time to obtain the SpO2 readings from all these sites.
- Regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between paired SpO2 measurements.
- The mean difference (bias) and standard deviation of the paired SpO2 differences (precision) were calculated (Bland–Altman plots).
- A total of 150 patients were enrolled.
- There was a good correlation between SpO2 measured at the palm versus the wrist and between SpO2 measured at the sole versus the ankle.
- There was also a good agreement between paired SpO2 measurements from these sites.
- The bias and precision for SpO2 at the right palm and right wrist was 0.08±0.94% and for the left palm and left wrist 0.22±0.87%.
- Similarly, the bias and precision for SpO2 at the right sole and right ankle was -0.03±0.93% and for the left sole and left ankle was -0.01±0.93%.
