July 11 (Reuters) - A widely used medical device that measures oxygen levels is flawed, causing critically ill Asian, black and Hispanic patients to receive less supplemental oxygen, according to data from a large study published on Monday. on white patients to help them breathe.
Pulse oximeters clip on your fingertips and pass red and infrared light through your skin to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.Skin pigmentation has been known to affect readings since the 1970s, but this difference is thought to not affect patient care.
Among 3,069 patients treated in the Boston Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between 2008 and 2019, people of color received significantly less supplemental oxygen than whites because of pulse oximeter readings associated with their skin pigmentation Inaccurate, the study found.
Dr. Leo Anthony Celi of Harvard Medical School and MIT oversees the program of study
For the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, pulse oximetry readings were compared to direct measurements of blood oxygen levels, which is impractical for the average patient because it requires painful invasive procedures.
Authors of a separate study involving COVID-19 patients recently published in the same journal found "occult hypoxemia" in 3.7% of blood samples from Asia -- despite pulse oximeter readings ranging from 92% to 96%, but oxygen saturation levels remained below 88% 3.7% of samples were from black patients, 2.8% were from non-black Hispanic patients, and only 1.7% were from white patients.Whites accounted for only 17.2% of all patients with occult hypoxemia.
The authors concluded that racial and ethnic bias in the accuracy of pulse oximetry resulted in delays or suspension of treatment for black and Hispanic COVID-19 patients.
Pulse oximetry can also be affected by obesity, medications used in critically ill patients and other factors, Celi said.
Market research firm Imarc Group forecasts that the global pulse oximeter market will reach $3.25 billion by 2027, following sales of $2.14 billion in 2021.
"We think it is very reasonable to call on buyers and manufacturers to make changes (to devices) at this time," Dr. Eric Ward, co-author of an editorial published with the study, told Reuters.
Medtronic Plc (MDT.N) executive Frank Chan said in an emailed statement that the company confirms its pulse by taking synchronized blood samples at each blood oxygen level and comparing pulse oximetry readings with blood sample measurements. Accuracy of oximeters."
He added that Medtronic is testing its device on more than the required number of participants with dark-skinned pigmentation "to ensure our technology works as intended for all patient populations."
Apple will drop the mask requirement for company employees in most locations, The Verge reported Monday, citing an internal memo.(https://bit.ly/3oJ3EQN)
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Post time: Aug-03-2022