title: A comparison of oxygen saturation in white-tailed deer estimated by pulse oximetry and from arterial blood gases.
abstract: Physiologic monitoring is important when chemically immobilizing wildlife. Blood oxygenation is usually monitored by pulse oximetry in the field; however, there is some question whether this technique accurately reflects oxygen saturation in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We evaluated different doses of medetomidine (125, 150, 175, or 200 μg/kg) mixed with ketamine (1.5 mg/kg), and tiletamine-zolazepam (1.0 mg/kg) in 22 female white-tailed deer at the University of Georgia Whitehall Deer Research Facility in Athens, Georgia on 14-15 and 21 May 2009. Deer were hand-injected intramuscularly while physically restrained in a squeeze chute, and then they were released into a pen for monitoring. Hemoglobin saturation estimated using pulse oximetry (SpO(2)) was compared with hemoglobin saturation value from arterial blood gases (SaO(2)) at 0, 10, and 20 min postimmobilization with deer in a sternal position. We made 56 simultaneous comparisons of oxygen saturation using SpO(2) (range, 54-95%) and SaO(2) (range, 60-95%). We used a Bland-Altman analysis for determining agreement between the two methods. Hemoglobin saturation estimated using SpO(2) was generally greater than SaO(2) when the mean of the two measurements was >80%. At mean values <80% oxygen saturation, there is not sufficient agreement between the techniques. Multiple readings over time may help recognition of outliers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, 274 Ellington Hall, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA. lmuller@utk.edu
authors.forename: Lisa I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: M Kevin
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Keel
authors.forename: Brad F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Karl V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003670:Deer; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007103:Immobilization / Q000502:physiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000662:veterinary; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen