[Clinical usefulness of pulse oximetry in asthmatic children]

Abnormalities in exchange and tendency to acidosis and hypoxemia are present in acute asthma. Oxygen arterial saturation (pulse oximetry) is a simple and useful method to evaluate oxygenation conditions. Pulse oximetry and spirometry before and after albuterol nebulization (150 mcg/kg/dose) were performed in 35 subjects. 7 to 14 years, with acute asthma, 68% were mild and the rest moderate. Oxygen saturation before nebulization was less than 90% in 30 children and increased in 27 of them (90%). Spirometry before nebulization showed FEV1 20% predictive values in 18 children and increased in 10 of them. Seven were hospitalized because of worse symptoms. 4 of them showed metabolic acidosis by the presence of lactate. We conclude that pulse oximetry is a useful and simple method for an objective evaluation of acute asthma and its complications, but it is not predictive for a therapeutic decision.