Hypoxaemia and risk of death among children: rethinking oxygen saturation, risk-stratification, and the role of pulse oximetry in primary care

Abstract

Pulse oximeters are essential for assessing blood oxygen levels in emergency departments, operating theatres, and hospital wards. However, although the role of pulse oximeters in detecting hypoxaemia and guiding oxygen therapy is widely recognised, their role in primary care settings is less clear. In this Viewpoint, we argue that pulse oximeters have a crucial role in risk-stratification in both hospital and primary care or outpatient settings. Our reanalysis of hospital and primary care data from diverse low-income and middle-income settings shows elevated risk of death for children with moderate hypoxaemia (ie, peripheral oxygen saturations [SpO2] 90-93%) and severe hypoxaemia (ie, SpO2 <90%). We suggest that moderate hypoxaemia in the primary care setting should prompt careful clinical re-assessment, consideration of referral, and close follow-up. We provide practical guidance to better support front-line health-care workers to use pulse oximetry, including rethinking traditional binary SpO2 thresholds and promoting a more nuanced approach to identification and emergency treatment of the severely ill child.