title: Relation between pulse oximetry and clinical score in children with acute wheezing less than 24 months of age.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the relation between transcutaneous hemoglobin oxygen saturation, measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2), and clinical score values in 138 infants (mean+/-SD, 6.6+/-5.5 months of age) with acute wheezing episodes presenting in a primary care outpatient setting. A single investigator evaluated the severity of the acute wheezing episodes by assigning a clinical score and was unaware of the SpO2 values. Another investigator measured SpO2 values on all subjects. The mean (+/-SD) SpO2 value was 98.2+/-1.1% for children with clinical scores of 2-5 (n = 32); 95.4+/-1.5% for those with scores of 6-7 (n = 82), and 92.9+/-2% for children with scores of 8-10 (n = 24), (P < 0.001 by Bonferroni's multiple comparison, when all two-way comparisons were done for each pair of results). The clinical score showed a good correlation with SpO2 (r = -0.76; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.68). We conclude that if pulse oximetry is not available, it is advisable to include oxygen in the therapy of wheezy infants with clinical scores values >8.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Exequiel Gonzáles Córtes Children's Hospital, University of Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pavón
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Castro-Rodríguez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rubilar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Girardi
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen