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Pulse oximetry in discharge decision-making: a survey of emergency physicians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Lance Brown  and
Bernard Dannenberg
Lance Brown*
Affiliation:
Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, Calif
Bernard Dannenberg
Affiliation:
Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, Calif
*
Department of Emergency Medicine, A-108, Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, 11234 Anderson St., Loma Linda CA 92354 USA; 909 558-4344, fax 909 558-4121,; [email protected]

Abstract

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Objectives:

Our primary objective was to describe the pulse oximetry discharge thresholds used by general and pediatric emergency physicians for well-appearing children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and to assess the related practice variability.

Methods:

This mail-in survey was conducted in August and September 2001 and included the 281 active members of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians. The survey consisted of 2 case scenarios of previously healthy, well-appearing children: a 2-year-old with pneumonia and a 10-month-old with bronchiolitis. Respondents were asked about their years of experience, teaching load, percentage of children in their practice, whether they currently have a written departmental guideline at their institution, and the lowest pulse oximetry reading that they would accept and still discharge the patient directly home.

Results:

One hundred and eighty-two (65%) physicians answered the survey and met the inclusion criteria. The respondents’ median oximetry value and interquartile range (IQR) for the pneumonia and bronchiolitis cases were 93% (92%–94%) and 94% (92%–94%) respectively. With the exception of the 3 physicians practising >1000 metres above sea level, the responses by subgroups were similar.

Conclusions:

There does not yet exist a safe, clinically validated pulse oximetry discharge threshold. Emergency physicians from this study sample have a modest degree of practice variability in a self-reported pulse oximetry discharge threshold. Emergency physicians may use this data to compare their own practice with that reported by this group.

Keywords

pulse oximetrypractice guidelinepneumoniabronchiolitisemergency department
Type
Pediatric EM • Pédiatrie d’urgence
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 4 , Issue 6 , November 2002 , pp. 388 - 393
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2002

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