Publication:

Level of agreement on SpO2 and response time between fingertip pulse oximeter and conventional bedside pulse oximeter among preterm neonates: a tertiary care study

Background Fingertip pulse oximeters are used to measure peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) levels in newborns and have been recommended to improve access to monitoring devices in resource-limited settings. However, evidence regarding their use in preterm neonates is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of agreement in peripheral oxygen saturation and response time between fingertip pulse oximeters and conventional bedside pulse oximeters in preterm neonates.

Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 201 preterm neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, India. Preterm neonates who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled using consecutive sampling. Medical records were reviewed to obtain information on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.  Both a conventional bedside pulse oximeter and a fingertip pulse oximeter were used to assess SpO₂ and response times. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests (t-test), Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (Wilcoxon SR test), Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman analyses.

Results A significant difference in SpO₂ values (p<0.001) was observed between the devices, while response times showed no significant difference (p=0.107). The ICC indicated fair to good agreement for both parameters (p<0.001). Bland-Altman analysis revealed no significant bias, supporting the consistency between the devices.

Conclusions The fingertip pulse oximeter demonstrated clinically acceptable agreement with the conventional bedside device for measuring SpO₂ in preterm neonates.