Opinion: The accuracy of pulse oximeters shouldn’t depend on a person’s skin color
Covid-19 made pulse oximeters an even more important tool for measuring the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream than they had been before. Widely used in hospitals and health systems, these small finger clips were also flying off the shelves in pharmacies and being ordered online. But pulse oximeters aren’t as accurate as many people — and doctors — believe.
A good example of their limitations was my patient, Mr. V, a Hispanic man in his 50s. He came to the emergency department one morning after days of having trouble breathing. We quickly admitted him to the intensive care unit for rapidly progressing Covid-19. That afternoon, his breathing became increasingly labored, even when he used a mask that pushed oxygen into his lungs. That wasn’t enough. I had to put a breathing tube in him. The pulse oximeter on his finger showed that his oxygen levels were in the mid-90s — which is normal. But he kept getting worse. Fast.
