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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

A Model to Simulate Clinically Relevant Hypoxia in Humans
Published on: December 22, 2016
Modelling the distribution of the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve in vivo: An observational study
Colin J Crooks1, Joe West2, Joanne R Morling2
1Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; Division of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, NG5 1PB, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Few studies have explored the variability of the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve in vivo. 96,428 blood gas measurements were obtained (80,376 arterial, 6959 venous) from a cohort of 7656 patients who were admitted to a large UK teaching hospital between 1 February 2020 and 31 December 2021 for a Covid-19 related admission with a positive PCR. There was consistent variation of the distribution of the oxygen-haemoglobin curve across most oxygen saturation strata with typical values at 91-92 % saturation (mean 8.1kPa, standard deviation sd 0.6 kPa or 60.8 mmHg sd 4.5 mmHg), with the exception of the highest strata of oxygen saturation of 99-100 % (mean 17.7 kPa, sd 8.1kPa or 132 mmHg sd 60.8). The higher oxygen partial pressures at higher oxygen saturations are a concern in view of the increased mortality observed in RCTs of higher oxygen saturation targets. However, the observational study design precludes any attribution of causality.
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