The differences, or bias, between estimates of blood oxygen saturation levels as measured with pulse oximeters compared to the gold-standard method of measuring oxygen saturation in arterial blood varied significantly between patients with darkly pigmented skin compared to lighter skin pigment, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).
The new findings are from the largest prospective real-world study to evaluate the relationship between skin pigmentation and pulse oximeter bias in critically ill patients, a topic that garnered public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when some studies suggested that pulse oximeters may provide false reassurance about a patient’s health status by…