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Revised threshold values for neonatal oxygen saturation at mild and moderate altitudes
Author(s) -
Guo Fangqi,
Tang Songyuan,
Guo Tao,
Bartell Scott,
Detrano Robert
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14962
Subject(s) - medicine , percentile , asymptomatic , altitude (triangle) , effects of high altitude on humans , oxygen saturation , pediatrics , supplemental oxygen , anesthesia , oxygen , statistics , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , anatomy
Aim The aim of this study was to determine reference values for oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) in neonates at mild and moderate altitudes. Methods Our study included 41 097 consecutively born, asymptomatic neonates from 35 hospitals, located in Yunnan, China, with altitudes ranging from 267 to 2202 m. Pre‐and post‐ductal SpO 2 of each neonate was measured at 24 hours of age and before hospital discharge. All study participants, according to the altitude of birth, were categorised into three groups: low (0‐500 m), mild (500‐1500 m) and moderate altitude (1500‐2500 m). Results Every 1000‐m increase in altitude was associated with a 1.54 per cent decrease in mean SpO 2 . The means of pre‐ductal SpO 2 at low, mild and moderate groups were 97.9%, 96.4% and 95.5%, respectively. We used the 2.5th percentile of SpO 2 distribution as the cut‐off for neonatal SpO 2 screening and defined new cut‐off values of ≤93% for mild altitudes, ≤92% for moderate altitudes and no adjustment for low altitudes. Conclusion We recommend revised cut‐off values for neonatal SpO 2 at mild and moderate altitudes and provide new values for paediatricians to refer to when screening neonates for severe congenital heart or lung diseases.