• T Ezri, S Lurie, S Konichezky, and D Soroker.
• Department of Anesthesia, Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot, Israel.
• J Clin Anesth. 1991 Nov 1; 3 (6): 447-50.

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the accuracy of the nasal septum site for pulse oximetry measurement of arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) in hypothermic patients.DesignProspective study.SettingOperating theater of a public hospital.PatientsFourteen hypothermic (temperature 34.6 degrees C to 36 degrees C) patients (eight males and six females) undergoing a major surgical abdominal procedure.InterventionsFifty estimations of SpO2 were simultaneously made by a flex sensor probe applied at the nasal septum site and by a finger sensor probe using a pulse oximeter. The results were compared with arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) as measured by arterial blood gas sampling.Measurements And Main ResultsIn 18% of the estimations, the finger probe produced unmeasurable results. The nasal septum probe did not produce any unmeasurable results (p = 0.0055). In the remaining 41 estimations, a comparison of the measurements from the nasal septum versus the controls showed a mean difference of 0.15 and a limit of agreement of -0.106 to +0.398. A comparison difference of 2.27 and a limit of agreement of 1.986 to 2.551.ConclusionMonitoring SpO2 at the nasal septum site is more reliable than monitoring it at the finger site in hypothermic patients.

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