[Pulse oximetry in surgery of the bronchial system]

Oxygen saturation was determined by pulse oximetry in 35 children and adults during general anaesthesia using jet- or manually assisted ventilation for minor elective laryngeal and tracheo-bronchial surgery. The method is non-invasive and provides continuous information about the arterial oxygen saturation (saO2) and heart rate. Compromised arterial oxygenation during anaesthesia and the effects and brief ventilatory arrest are accurately detectable. Data such as pO2, pCO2 or pH cannot be assessed by pulse oximetry; carbon monoxide and methemoglobinaemia may lead to less accurate results. Pulse oximetry provides on-line information about sudden hypoxic events and allows early therapeutic intervention because arterial desaturation precedes the clinical signs and symptoms of hypoxia.