Language
English
Publication Date
3-18-2026
Journal
Children
DOI
10.3390/children13030415
PMID
41897125
PMCID
PMC13025895
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
3-18-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Background: Pulse oximetry is widely used to estimate arterial oxygen saturation, yet accuracy may vary for a number of reasons. Data on children with functionally univentricular circulation are limited. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between arterial oxygen saturation measured by blood gas and pulse oximetry in children with functionally univentricular circulations. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of paired arterial blood gas and pulse oximetry oxygen saturation measurements following Norwood, Glenn, or Fontan procedures. Signed difference was defined as arterial oxygen saturation by blood gas-arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry. Bland-Altman analyses, multivariable regressions, and generalized additive modeling were performed. Results: Mean bias was -4.9 percentage points, indicating pulse oximetry overestimated arterial saturation. The 95% limits of agreement were wide, from -20.7 to 10.8. The agreement was similar in Black and White patients. Fontan physiology demonstrated reduced overestimation by pulse oximetry by multivariable regression. Nonlinear modeling demonstrated more bias in agreement at lower arterial oxygen saturation levels, with arterial oxygen saturation levels explaining 50% of the variance. Conclusions: In functionally univentricular patients, pulse oximetry using the Nellcor MAXN-NS pulse oximeter (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) systematically overestimates arterial saturation, particularly in the setting of hypoxemia. Saturation level, rather than race, was the dominant determinant of bias.
Keywords
pediatrics, cardiology, pulse oximetry, arterial oxygen saturation, hypoxemia
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Savorgnan, Fabio; Acosta, Sebastian; Prabhu, Joshua; et al., "The Agreement Between Pulse Oximetry and Measured Arterial Oxygen Saturations in Postoperative Functionally Univentricular Patients" (2026). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 7537.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/7537