TY - JOUR
T1 - Accuracy of pulse oximetry during exercise stress testing
AU - Norton, L. H.
AU - Squires, B.
AU - Craig, N. P.
AU - McLeay, G.
AU - McGrath, P.
AU - Norton, K. I.
PY - 1992/10
Y1 - 1992/10
N2 - Pulse oximetry is used extensively during exercise stress-testing in the clinical and sports medicine settings. There are few validation studies to assess the appropriateness of using pulse oximetry under conditions of potentially compromised peripheral blood flow. To study the accuracy of pulse oximetry during severe exercise stress, 10 athletes undertook 3 bouts of exhaustive exercise; once at an intensity requiring V̇O2max (max), once at 115% of V̇O2max (Smax), and once at Smax while FIO2 was increased to 0.30. The results indicate relatively large underestimations occur when pulse oximetry is used to estimate %SaO2 during exercise, when compared to the criterion samples of gas analysis in arterial blood. These differences were exacerbated as the exercise intensity increased from a mean (± SE) difference of 2.9 ± 0.7 %SaO2 at max to 4.6 ± 0.7 %SaO2 at Smax. Breathing a higher FIO2 reversed the hypoxemia that occurred during the normoxic exercise, however, pulse oximetry measurements failed to detect this alteration in %SaO2. Estimates of oxygen saturation during severe exercise using pulse oximetry should be viewed with caution, as potentially large errors may occur.
AB - Pulse oximetry is used extensively during exercise stress-testing in the clinical and sports medicine settings. There are few validation studies to assess the appropriateness of using pulse oximetry under conditions of potentially compromised peripheral blood flow. To study the accuracy of pulse oximetry during severe exercise stress, 10 athletes undertook 3 bouts of exhaustive exercise; once at an intensity requiring V̇O2max (max), once at 115% of V̇O2max (Smax), and once at Smax while FIO2 was increased to 0.30. The results indicate relatively large underestimations occur when pulse oximetry is used to estimate %SaO2 during exercise, when compared to the criterion samples of gas analysis in arterial blood. These differences were exacerbated as the exercise intensity increased from a mean (± SE) difference of 2.9 ± 0.7 %SaO2 at max to 4.6 ± 0.7 %SaO2 at Smax. Breathing a higher FIO2 reversed the hypoxemia that occurred during the normoxic exercise, however, pulse oximetry measurements failed to detect this alteration in %SaO2. Estimates of oxygen saturation during severe exercise using pulse oximetry should be viewed with caution, as potentially large errors may occur.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026437436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1055/s-2007-1021310
DO - 10.1055/s-2007-1021310
M3 - Article
C2 - 1459747
AN - SCOPUS:0026437436
VL - 13
SP - 523
EP - 527
JO - International Journal of Sports Medicine
JF - International Journal of Sports Medicine
SN - 0172-4622
IS - 7
ER -