Guidelines for pulse oximetry use in pediatrics

Abstract

I N A STUDY OF the use of pulse oximetry in a medical-surgical pediatric unit (Kozlowski, DiMarcello, Stashinko, & Phifer, 1994), Kozlowski et al. recommend the development of standards for the use of pulse oximetry in the pediatric population. This review will discuss guidelines for the use of the pulse oximetry equipment in pediatrics. Pulse oximetry and transcutaneous Po2 readings to assess oxygenation status were both developed in the 1970s. Because transcutaneous Po2 closely estimated Pao2 in hemodynamically stable infants, it was rapidly integrated into clinical use to reduce the dangers of hyperoxia in premature infants. The technology of pulse oximetry underwent further development before it became widely used in the early 1980s. When technology advanced to make pulse oximetry easy and reliable, its use increased in pediatric short-term care settings. Initially, pulse oximetry use was confined to patients undergoing anesthesia or those in intensive care units. Pulse oximetry is now recommended for the general pediatric population for postoperative transport, during diagnostic procedures, for patients with oxygen requirements, and for patients undergoing opioids therapy for pain management (Agency on Health Care Policy and Research, 1992). Pulse oximetry provides a noninvasive, painless, and reliable method to measure arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation. It can identify both constant and transient/episodic hypoxemic events alone or those that coexist with constant hypoxemia. Prolonged tissue hypoxia can lead to ischemia of the heart and brain and can prolong wound healing. Therefore, early detection of hypoxic events may