title: Does ambient light affect the accuracy of pulse oximetry?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determine whether ambient light affects the accuracy of pulse oximetry readings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, repeated-measures study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A photographic darkroom.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five faculty and students at a university, none of whom had pale skin, dark skin, or evidence of cardiopulmonary disease. Any nail polish was removed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five light sources were individually tested: incandescent, quartz-halogen, infrared, fluorescent, and bilirubin light. A pulse oximetry probe was placed on the subject's finger, and the finger and probe were placed sideways under each light source, on a predetermined mark.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The greatest difference in pulse oximetry reading between any of the light sources was 0.5%. Repeated-measures analysis of variance yielded a p value of 0.204.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ambient light has no statistically significant effect on pulse oximetry readings. Even had the differences been statistically significant, the magnitude of the differences was small and thus clinically unimportant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiorespiratory Sciences, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse NY 13210, USA. fluckr@mail.upstate.edu
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Fluck
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frani
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kropf
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engbretson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008029:Lighting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D010108:Oxyhemoglobins