Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Sociéte française de pédiatrie
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Pulse oximetry has become the leading technique for monitoring hemoglobin oxygen saturation whenever a risk of hypoxia exists. It is based upon the principle of light absorbance of pulsatile arterial blood. Since it uses 2 wavelengths, it can only measure oxyhemoglobin and reduced hemoglobin. ⋯ Low tissue perfusion can also be responsible for inaccurate values. Nevertheless pulse oximetry is a reliable and easy-to-use technique in most of the clinical situations. This article reviews the physical basis, the reliability, the pediatric aspects, and the limitations of the technique.