title: The response times during anaesthesia of pulse oximeters measuring oxygen saturations during hypoxaemic events.
abstract: Episodes of desaturation were recorded simultaneously by computer from two Ohmeda Biox 3700 pulse oximeters, one with an ear and one with a finger probe, on patients undergoing anaesthesia. Over a period of 6 months, 28 episodes of desaturation were detected. Analysis of the recordings showed the mean minimum saturations recorded for ear and finger probes were 86.3% and 83.5% respectively (p less than 0.01). The mean delay for finger compared to ear pulse oximetry was 4.4 s (p less than 0.01). Analysis at different saturation levels showed finger probe responses to be significantly slower than ear probe responses at saturations equal to and above 91% (p less than 0.05). At saturation levels of 90% or less no significant difference in probe response times were found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Sheffield.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Broome
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Reilly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia; D004431:Ear, External / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000592:standards; D010092:Oximetry / Q000592:standards*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen