Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T13:10:49.603Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prehospital Use of Pulse Oximetry in Rotary-Wing Aircraft

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Peter C. Valko ,
Jack P. Campbell ,
David L. McCarty ,
Dennis Martin  and
Joe Turnbull
Peter C. Valko
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Oklahoma City, Okla., USA
Jack P. Campbell*
Affiliation:
Formerly with Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Currently with Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Mo., USA
David L. McCarty
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Oklahoma City, Okla., USA
Dennis Martin
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Oklahoma City, Okla., USA
Joe Turnbull
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Oklahoma City, Okla., USA
*
University of Missouri–Kansas City, Trauma Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, 2301 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA(816) 556-3127
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A prospective study of 200 patients was conducted to evaluate the use of pulse oximetry as an adjunct to clinical monitoring of critically ill patients transported by rotary-wing aircraft with non-pressurized cabins. Thirty-four subjects (17%) were found to have significant hemoglobin desaturation of less than 90%, as defined by pulse oximetry (SpO2). Data were recorded continuously for later review. Desaturation often was noted prior to alterations in vital signs or clinical appearance. In 32 of the 34 hypoxemic subjects (94%), therapeutic interventions corrected the low SpO2. The use of pulse oximetry permitted measures for cardiorespiratory support to be instituted and assessed more rapidly than otherwise would have been possible. The availability of a continuous record of SpO2 facilitated detailed review of case management. It is concluded that the use of pulse oximetry is a practical and valuable adjunct for monitoring critically ill patients transported by rotary-wing aircraft.

Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , December 1991 , pp. 421 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Stewart, RD: Pre-hospital care of trauma. Trauma Q 1985;1(3):1–3Google Scholar
2. Shuffleberger, C, Jehle, D, Cotlingtor, : Trans-conjunctival oxygen monitoring during hospital transport. Ann Emerg Med 1985;14:518. Abstract.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Comroe, JS, Bothelo, S: The unreliability of cyanosis in the recognition of arterial anoxemia. Am J Med Sci 1947;214:1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Ganong, WF: Respiratory Adjustment in Health and Disease. In Ganong Review of Medical Physiology, 10th Ed. Lange:Los Altos, California, 1983, p. 551Google Scholar
5. Abraham, E, Oye, RK, Smith, M: Detection of blood volume deficits through conjunctival oxygentension monitoring. Crit Care Med 1984;12:931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Yoshiya, I, Shimada, Y, Tanaka, K: Spectrophotometric monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation in the fingertip. Med Biol Eng Comput 1980;18:27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Yelderman, M, New, W: Evaluation of pulse oximetry. Anesthesiology 1988;68:279.Google Scholar
8. Melton, JD, Heller, MB, Kaplan, R et al. : Occult hypoxemia during aeromedical transport: Detection by pulse oximetry. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 1989;4:2:115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Ries, AL: Oximetry—Know thy limits. Chest 1987;91:316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Huber, GL: Arterial blood gas and acid-base physiology. In Current Concepts. The UpJohn Company. 1978, p. 12.Google Scholar
11. Eide, TR: Pulse oximetry and anesthesiology. Prog Anesth 1987;2:2–3.Google Scholar
12. Eisenkraft, JB: Pulse oximeter desaturation due to methemoglobinemia. Anesthesiology 1988;68:279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Barker, SJ, Tremper, KK: The effect of carbon monoxide inhalation on pulse oximetry and transcutaneous PO2. Anesthesiology 1987;66:677.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Gabrielczyk, MR, Buist, RJ: Anaesthesia 1988;43:402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Choe, H, Tashiro, C, Fukumitso, K et al. : Comparison of recorded values from six pulse oximeters. Crit Care Med 1989;17:678.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed