title: Pulse oximetry, capnography, and blood gas measurements: reducing cost and improving the quality of care with technology.
abstract: Pulse oximetry appears to improve quality of care by the early detection of hypoxia noninvasively. We tested the hypothesis that the widespread use of pulse oximetry over a 5-year period in the operating rooms at our institution had resulted in a reduction in blood gas measurements and in departmental operating costs. The total number of blood gas determinations per hour of anesthetic time at our institution decreased by 44%, from 7.64 to 4.26 measurements per 100 operating room hours. The number of capnography units in the operating rooms increased from 8 to 14, the number of pulse oximeters increased from 0 to 22, and oximeter use increased from 0 to 100% for all anesthetics. The total cost to provide oximetry, capnography, and blood gas measurements in 1989-1990 was less than the cost to provide blood gas measurements alone in 1985-1986. The introduction of these technologies was accomplished without an increase in cost: $76,880 in 1985-1986 versus $71,025 in 1989-1990.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Roizen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schreider
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polk
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000191:economics*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D010092:Oximetry / Q000191:economics*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide