Clinical evaluation of a new ear oximeter.

Ear oximetry offers a noninvasive method of determining and monitoring oxygen saturation in arterialized capillary blood. A new apparatus has recently been developed which provides improved accuracy as well as increased ease of use. We have found it to be at least as accurate as the American Optical oximeter which measures oxygen saturation directly from arterial blood. It has proved to be of value in clinical situations such as monitoring critically ill patients (particularly those being mechanically ventilated) and patients undergoing treadmill exercise or fiberoptic bronchoscopy and in the diagnosis of disorders characterized by periodic hypoxia.