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INTRODUCTION: Clinical accuracy of pulse oximeters (giving Spo2) is routinely tested down to an Sao2 of 70%, but lower oxygen saturations are often experienced during hypobaric hypoxia. Cerebral (Sco2) and peripheral tissue (Sto2) oxygen saturations can be measured using near infra-red spectroscopy. In a project simulating oxygen system failure during high altitude-high opening parachuting (HAHO), Sao2, Spo2, Sco2, and forearm Sto2 were measured. The aim of the present analysis was to explore the agreement between Sao2 and the three noninvasive measurements of hypoxemia (Spo2, Sco2, and Sto2).METHODS: Healthy volunteers from the Norwegian Special Operations Commando were studied in a hypobaric chamber as supplemental oxygen was removed at 301 hPa ambient pressure (30,000 ft) and recompressed at 25 hPa · min-1 (1000 ft · min-1) to ground level simulating a HAHO parachute flight. Sao2 was compared with Spo2, Sco2, and Sto2 in scatterplots and Bland-Altman plots, calculating bias and limits of agreement (LOA).RESULTS: The bias ± LOA were: Sao2 vs. Spo2: −5.8% ± 16, Sao2 vs. Sco2: −3.4% ± 11, and Sao2 vs. Sto2: 17% ± 30. The bias for Sao2 vs. Spo2 was dependent on the range of values, and correcting for this with a sloped bias line reduced the LOA to ± 8.2%.DISCUSSION: There were wide limits of agreement between Sao2 and Spo2. Sao2 and Sco2 agreed better, whereas Sao2 and forearm Sto2 had wide LOA. The agreement between Sao2 and Spo2 improved when correcting for the underestimation of Spo2 at low values. There is a poor agreement between Spo2 and the gold standard Sao2 during extreme hypobaric hypoxemia.Ottestad W, Kåsin JI, Høiseth LØ. Arterial oxygen saturation, pulse oximetery, and cerebral and tissue oximetry in hypobaric hypoxia. Aerospace Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(12):1045–1049.

Keywords: atmospheric pressure; blood gas analysis; hypoxia; oximetry
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