Podcast 659: Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry

Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Study in NEJM looked at occult hypoxemia, when oxygen saturation reads at >92% when the actual saturation is <88%
• Rate of occult hypoxemia was 3 times higher in those who identified as black (12% vs 4%)
• Keep this disparity in mind when providing care to patients of all backgrounds and incorporate into clinical decision-making

References

Sjoding MW, Dickson RP, Iwashyna TJ, Gay SE, Valley TS. Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(25):2477-2478. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2029240

Summarized by John Spartz, MS3 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD

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