Yu H, Liu B
Department of Anaesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, People's Republic of China.
Anaesthesia. 2007 Jul;62(7):734-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2007.05072.x.
We describe the successful use of pharyngeal oximetry with the oropharyngeal airway in two patients with severe shock in whom finger pulse oximetry failed. One patient was a 50-year-old man with septic shock and the other a 32-year-old woman with haemorrhagic shock. In both patients, an oropharyngeal airway with a paediatric pulse oximeter probe was inserted adjacent to the tracheal tube. A good waveform was obtained and oxygen saturation was 0-2% lower than arterial samples whereas finger pulse oximetry saturation was unobtainable or much lower than arterial oxygen saturation. Pharyngeal oxygen saturation with the oropharyngeal airway is feasible and more accurate than finger oximetry in low perfusion states.
