Comparison of the Nellcor N-200 and N-3000 pulse oximeters during simulated postoperative activities

Twenty-six healthy volunteers were monitored simultaneously with the Nellcor N-200 and N-3000 pulse oximeters during nonhypoxaemic simulated postoperative activity. The overall number of registered events (hypoxaemic episodes or loss of signal) was fewer with the N-3000 than with the N-200 (8 vs. 32, p < 0.00005). Episodes of "desaturation' of > or = 5% from baseline were significantly fewer with the N-3000 than with the N-200 (5 vs. 19, p = 0.0001), and lowest values below 90% occurred nine times on the N-200, but were not seen with the N-3000 (p < 0.00005). Furthermore, episodes owing to loss of signal were significantly rarer with the N-3000 than with the N-200 (3 vs. 13, p = 0.001). The Nellcor N-3000 oximeter may offer an advantage over the N-200 model when monitoring patients in the postoperative period.