Pulse Oximetry: A Survey of Knowledge among Staff of an Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction Pulse oximetry measures arterial oxygen saturation and was introduced into the clinical field since the 1980s. It provides a simple, portable, non-invasive and inexpensive way for monitoring blood oxygen saturation. Previous studies demonstrated that most hospital staff had limited knowledge on the correct use of pulse oximetry and what might affect the readings. This study aimed at evaluating the extent of knowledge in pulse oximetry among the clinical staff of an emergency department. Method A 25-item multiple-choice type questionnaire was given to the medical and nursing staff of the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. In addition to demographic information, respondents were required to answer questions relating to the basic principles of pulse oximetry, recognition of physiological factors limiting its accuracy and management regarding hypothetical scenarios. The scores were expressed and analysed on a scale of 0–100. Results A total of 44 questionnaires were completed by 27 nurses and 17 doctors with their test scores ranging from 20 to 72 (median=46). Doctors (median=56) did better than nurses (median=44) in general (P=0.036) but this advantage, however, did not apply to questions on hypothetical scenarios where nurses performed better on the contrary. Correlation analysis proved that there was no linear relationship between respondents' test scores and their years of clinical experience (r=0.051, Spearman). This absence of linear relationship also applied to individual doctors (r=0.244, Spearman) and nurses groups (r=0.162, Spearman). Conclusion There was insufficient knowledge on the use of pulse oximetry among staff of the AED. The level of understanding did not correlate with their clinical experience. Training programs targeting both the fresh and the experienced staff are recommended.