title: Pulse Oximetry Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Defects.
abstract: Critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) are a subset of congenital heart defects that require acute diagnosis and interventions in order to provide optimal health outcomes for newborns. The incidence of infants with CCHD may be as high as six per 1,000 live births. Pulse oximetry screening is a new tool used in many nurseries to detect the presence of CCHD with high reliability. This article includes an overview of CCHD and the pulse oximetry screen, including the primary and secondary targets, a test algorithm, reliability, cost-effectiveness, limitations, national recommendations, and implications for nurses, particularly their role in the NICU.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009736:Nursing Process; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results