Accuracy of nine commercially available pulse oximeters in monitoring patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency.

9 pulse oximeters (BIOX-III, Nellcor 250, Jaeger CNS, Micro2), Pulsox-8, Oxycount, PulsOXImeter, PalcoLabs and Pulsox-7) were studied in 90 COPD patients. The transcutaneus oxygen saturation (SaO2%) was compared with arterial oxygen saturation calculated simultaneously with drawn blood samples (AVL-995). The measurement of error distribution and the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of measurement errors allows ranking of the pulse oximeters, which can be divided in 3 groups. We conclude that the accuracy of the tested nine pulse oximeter does not enable precise absolute measurements, specially at lower oxygen saturation ranges.