Improving pulse oximetry accuracy in dark-skinned patients: technical aspects and current regulations

Ana M Cabanas; Pilar Martín-Escudero; Kirk H Shelley

doi:10.1016/j.bja.2023.07.005

Improving pulse oximetry accuracy in dark-skinned patients: technical aspects and current regulations

Br J Anaesth. 2023 Oct;131(4):640-644. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.07.005. Epub 2023 Aug 4.

Authors

Ana M Cabanas¹, Pilar Martín-Escudero², Kirk H Shelley³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile. Electronic address: acabanas@academicos.uta.cl.
² Medical School of Sport Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
³ Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

PMID: 37544838
DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.07.005

Abstract

Recent concerns regarding the clinical accuracy of pulse oximetry in dark-skinned patients, specifically in detecting occult hypoxaemia, have motivated research on this topic and recently reported in this journal. We provide an overview of the technical aspects of the issue, the sources of inaccuracy, and the current regulations and limitations. These insights offer perspectives on how pulse oximetry can be improved to address these potential limitations.

Keywords: clinical accuracy; dark skin; hypoxaemia; melanin; pulse oximetry; regulations.

Publication types

Editorial
Comment

MeSH terms

Humans
Hypoxia* / diagnosis
Oximetry*
Patients