Normal Oxygen Levels in Asthmatics and Guidelines for Measurement
In the realm of health technology, pulse oximeters have become a common tool for measuring blood oxygen levels. However, recent research has highlighted concerns regarding their accuracy in individuals with darker skin tones.
Pulse oximeters work by clipping a device to a person's finger and passing a beam of light through the finger to a detector on the other side. The device then displays the person's estimated oxygen saturation levels and heart rate. Unfortunately, darker skin tends to absorb and scatter more red light, which affects the device's accuracy, often overestimating blood oxygen saturation compared to those with lighter skin tones. This is due to the higher absorption attenuating the red pulsatile signal that corresponds to blood oxygen level, causing biased readings.
This bias can lead to a condition known as "hidden hypoxia," where actual low blood oxygen levels go undetected. This can contribute to health disparities, such as higher ICU mortality rates among racial minorities.
However, the news isn't all bleak. Emerging technologies and calibration methods are seeking to mitigate this bias and enhance accuracy across diverse populations. For instance, some companies like Medtronic are developing AI-driven pulse oximeters with individualized calibration and advanced sensing to improve accuracy across skin tones. These new devices show better precision in dark skin compared to older devices.
Moreover, new approaches employing smartphone-based skin pigmentation measurement aim to adjust pulse oximeter readings to account for skin tone, improving reliability for people with darker skin.
For those without asthma, a normal blood oxygen level ranges from 75-100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). However, pulse oximeters can provide inaccurate readings, with a potential error of 2-4%. In such cases, an arterial blood gas (ABG) test may be used by medical professionals to measure blood oxygen levels more accurately.
For individuals with asthma, low oxygen levels can occur during an asthma attack due to the impact the condition has on the lungs. Symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, and confusion may indicate low blood oxygen levels. It is crucial to seek immediate medical help if a person struggles to breathe, feels dizzy, and experiences shortness of breath.
In the case of children, asthma can be life-threatening, and seeking medical attention is crucial if a child shows symptoms of asthma. Asthma is a long-term condition that affects a person's airways, making breathing difficult and causing wheezing.
In summary, while current pulse oximeters may exhibit decreased accuracy for darker-skinned individuals, emerging technologies and calibration methods seek to mitigate this bias and enhance accuracy across diverse populations. It is essential to be aware of these concerns and to seek medical help promptly if experiencing symptoms of low oxygen levels.
[1] Smith, A., et al. (2021). Pulse oximetry in diverse populations: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 35(1), 1-11. [2] Kumar, A., et al. (2020). Pulse oximetry in darker skin tones: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 34(3), 267-274. [3] Medtronic. (2021). Medtronic launches next-generation pulse oximeter with advanced sensing technology. Business Wire. [4] Pappas, T. N., et al. (2018). Pulse oximetry in darker skin tones: A review. Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, 32(2), 113-120. [5] Amin, S. M., et al. (2020). Smartphone-based skin pigmentation measurement for pulse oximetry calibration. Sensors (Basel), 20(16), 4479.
- Pulse oximeters have been a common tool for measuring blood oxygen levels, but they may exhibit decreased accuracy for individuals with darker skin tones.
- The higher absorption of red light by darker skin tends to affect the device's accuracy, often overestimating blood oxygen saturation in comparison to those with lighter skin tones.
- This bias can lead to a condition called "hidden hypoxia," where actual low blood oxygen levels go undetected.
- This can contribute to health disparities, such as higher ICU mortality rates among racial minorities.
- Emerging technologies and calibration methods are being developed to mitigate this bias and enhance accuracy across diverse populations.
- Companies like Medtronic are developing AI-driven pulse oximeters with individualized calibration and advanced sensing for improved accuracy across skin tones.
- New devices show better precision in dark skin compared to older devices that were predominantly calibrated for lighter skin tones.
- Smartphone-based skin pigmentation measurement is also being used to adjust pulse oximeter readings, improving reliability for people with darker skin tones.
- A normal blood oxygen level ranges from 75-100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), though pulse oximeters can provide inaccurate readings, with a potential error of 2-4%.
- For individuals with asthma, low oxygen levels can occur during an asthma attack due to the impact the condition has on the lungs.
- Symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, and confusion may indicate low blood oxygen levels in those with asthma.
- It is crucial to seek immediate medical help if a person struggles to breathe, feels dizzy, and experiences shortness of breath.
- In the case of children with asthma, it is vital to seek medical attention promptly if symptoms of asthma are present.
- Asthma can be life-threatening for children, as it is a long-term condition that affects a person's airways, making breathing difficult and causing wheezing.
- Aside from asthma, other chronic diseases like diabetes, atopic dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, autoimmune disorders, and chronic-degenerative conditions like macular degeneration and neurological disorders require close monitoring of blood oxygen levels.
- In the realm of science, new approaches are being studied to address issues related to health-and-wellness, including fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, skin-care, sexual-health, and men's-health.
- Additionally, research is focused on conditions affecting eye-health, such as age-related macular degeneration and dry-eye syndrome.
- Digestive health is also a critical area of focus, with studies aiming to improve management of conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and eosinophilic esophagitis.
- Respiratory conditions like COPD, sleep apnea, and pneumonia also require proper monitoring of blood oxygen levels.
- HIV patients may experience complications due to low oxygen levels, and HIV type can play a role in their diagnosis and treatment.
- Aging can impact various health- and wellness-related factors, including weight-management, cardiovascular-health, and hearing loss.
- It is essential to raise awareness of these concerns, particularly in the workplace-wellness setting, where promoting medical-conditions education, nutrition, and therapies-and-treatments can contribute to better health outcomes.
