Impact of ethnicity on the accuracy of measurements of oxygen saturations: A retrospective observational cohort study

• Published in: EClinicalMedicine 2022-06, Vol.48, p.101428-101428, Article 101428
• Main Authors: Bangash, Mansoor N., Hodson, James, Evison, Felicity, Patel, Jaimin M., Johnston, Andrew McD, Gallier, Suzy, Sapey, Elizabeth, Parekh, Dhruv
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ethnicity; Inequalities; Oxygen saturations
• ISSN: 2589-5370; 2589-5370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101428

Pulse oximeters are routinely used in community and hospital settings worldwide as a rapid, non-invasive, and readily available bedside tool to approximate blood oxygenation. Potential racial biases in peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurements may influence the accuracy of pulse oximetry readings and impact clinical decision making. We aimed to assess whether the accuracy of oxygen saturation measured by SpO2, relative to arterial blood gas (SaO2), varies by ethnicity. In this large retrospective observational cohort study covering four NHS Hospitals serving a large urban population in Birmingham, United Kingdom, consecutive pairs of SpO2 and SaO2 measurements taken on the same patient within an interval of less than 20 min were identified from electronic patient records. Where multiple pairs of measurements were recorded in a spell, only the first was included in the analysis. The differences between SpO2 and SaO2 measurements were compared across groups of self-identified ethnicity. These differences were subsequently adjusted for age, sex, bilirubin, systolic blood pressure, carboxyhaemaglobin saturations and the time interval between SpO2 and SaO2 measurements. Paired O2 saturation measurements from 16,818 inpatient spells between 1st January 2017 and 18th February 2021 were analysed. The cohort self-identified as being of White (81.2%), Asian (11.7%), Black (4.0%), or Other (3.2%) ethnicities. Across the cohort, SpO2 was statistically significantly higher than SaO2 (p