The effect of motion on pulse oximetry and its clinical significance

Anesth Analg. 2007 Dec;105(6 Suppl):S78-S84. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000278134.47777.a5.

Abstract

Pulse oximetry is an important diagnostic and patient monitoring tool. However, motion can induce considerable error into pulse oximetry accuracy, resulting in loss of data, inaccurate readings, and false alarms. We will discuss how motion artifact affects pulse oximetry accuracy, the clinical consequences of motion artifact, and the methods used by various technologies to minimize the impact of the motion noise.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts*
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • Motion
  • Movement*
  • Oximetry* / instrumentation
  • Oxygen / blood*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted*

Substances

  • Oxygen