[Pulse oximetry and obstructive sleep apnea]
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Updated: Nov 8, 2026

A Model to Simulate Clinically Relevant Hypoxia in Humans
Published on: December 22, 2016
P W Norup1, N E Petri, E Jacobsen
1Rigshospitalets Søvnapnøgruppe: neurologisk afdeling, øreafdelingen og anaestesi/epidemiafdelingen, Rigshospitalet, København.
Abstract:
We report a case of a 54 years old man, treated with Methylphenidate (Ritalin) because of narcolepsy, who was referred with suspected vertebro-basilar insufficiency. In the hospital, apnoea during sleep attacks were observed. A polysomnography showed marked obstructive sleep apnoea with a disturbed hypnogram, but during the apnoeas the oxygen saturation only decreased by three to six percent. If a patient suspected for obstructive sleep apnoea has only small desaturations, an oximetry can be insensitive as the only "sleep examination", and a full polysomnography is recommended.
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