Signaling Patient Oxygen Desaturation with Enhanced Pulse Oximetry Tones.

ABSTRACT: Manufacturers could improve the pulse tones emitted by pulse oximeters to support more accurate identification of a patient's peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) range. In this article, we outline the strengths and limitations of the variable-pitch tone that represents SpO2 of each detected pulse, and we argue that enhancements to the tone to demarcate clinically relevant ranges are feasible and desirable. The variable-pitch tone is an appreciated and trusted feature of the pulse oximeter's user interface. However, studies show that it supports relative judgments of SpO2 trends over time and is less effective at supporting absolute judgments about the SpO2 number or conveying when SpO2 moves into clinically important ranges. We outline recent studies that tested whether acoustic enhancemen

SUBMITTER: Sanderson PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9767428 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature