Friday 30 April 2021
A recent retrospective study (Sjoding ET al) has suggested that occult hypoxaemia can occur in patients with dark skin tones due to an over-reading of SpO2 due to the light absorption of melanin. This appears to occur at higher SpO2 levels than previously thought (>92%). Clinicians are reminded of the possibility of this disparity, that a SpO2 levels should not be used in isolation, and triage and discharge decisions should not be undertaken without taking this, alongside the whole clinical picture, into consideration.
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