title: Pulse oximetry from the nasal septum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of the nasal septum site for pulse oximetry measurement of arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) in hypothermic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Operating theater of a public hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen hypothermic (temperature 34.6 degrees C to 36 degrees C) patients (eight males and six females) undergoing a major surgical abdominal procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty estimations of SpO2 were simultaneously made by a flex sensor probe applied at the nasal septum site and by a finger sensor probe using a pulse oximeter. The results were compared with arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) as measured by arterial blood gas sampling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 18% of the estimations, the finger probe produced unmeasurable results. The nasal septum probe did not produce any unmeasurable results (p = 0.0055). In the remaining 41 estimations, a comparison of the measurements from the nasal septum versus the controls showed a mean difference of 0.15 and a limit of agreement of -0.106 to +0.398. A comparison difference of 2.27 and a limit of agreement of 1.986 to 2.551.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring SpO2 at the nasal septum site is more reliable than monitoring it at the finger site in hypothermic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ezri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konichezky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soroker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009300:Nasal Septum; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen