Skin pigmentation influence on pulse oximetry accuracy: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis

Nowadays, pulse oximetry has become the standard in primary and intensive care units, especially as a triage tool during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, a deeper understanding of the measurement errors that can affect precise readings is a key element in clinical decisionmaking. Several factor...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cabanas, Ana M.; Fuentes Guajardo, Macarena; Latorre, Katina; León, Dayneri; Martín Escudero, María Del Pilar
Format: Article
Publication date:2022
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repository:Docta Complutense
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/117084
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/117084
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:61:796
I13 Health Insurance
Pulse oximetry
Oxigen saturation
Skin pigmentation
Accuracy
Photopletysmography
Medicina del deporte
2411.06 Fisiología del Ejercicio
Description
Summary:Nowadays, pulse oximetry has become the standard in primary and intensive care units, especially as a triage tool during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, a deeper understanding of the measurement errors that can affect precise readings is a key element in clinical decisionmaking. Several factors may influence the accuracy of pulse oximetry, such as skin color, body temperature, altitude, or patient movement. The skin pigmentation effect on pulse oximetry accuracy has long been studied reporting some contradictory conclusions. Recent studies have shown a positive bias in oxygen saturation measurements in patients with darkly pigmented skin, particularly under low saturation conditions. This review aims to study the literature that assesses the influence of skin pigmentation on the accuracy of these devices. We employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to conduct a systematic review retrospectively since February 2022 using WOS, PubMed, and Scopus databases. We found 99 unique references, of which only 41 satisfied the established inclusion criteria. A bibliometric and scientometrics approach was performed to examine the outcomes of an exhaustive survey of the thematic content and trending topics.