title: Pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease in the neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pulse oximetry screening (POS) is an effective tool to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in asymptomatic term infants, but its value in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) requires further clarification.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 1005 babies without previously diagnosed CCHD admitted to a level III NICU was performed to assess the risk for missed CCHD and performance of POS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1005 NICU patients, 812 had documented POS and none failed POS. In 812 patients, 547 had delayed POS because of the use of supplemental oxygen. In 259/812 patients, POS was delayed until the baby was >2 weeks old. CCHD was excluded by echocardiography, irrespective of POS, in 287/1005 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POS can be performed in the NICU with minimal adverse effects. However, in many NICU patients CCHD is confirmed or excluded before POS, and POS will frequently be performed after CCHD would have been expected to become symptomatic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Magnuson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eickhoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Porte
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hokanson
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010092:Oximetry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014922:Wisconsin