The effect of fever on blood oxygen saturation in children

INTRODUCTION: Blood temperature is inversely correlated with oxygen-hemoglobin affinity as demonstrated by in-vitro oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve (ODC) experimentation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the real-life effect of fever on blood oxygen saturation (SO2) in children. METHODS: Children treated in the Pediatric Emergency Department at the "Shaare Zedek" Medical Center with a body temperature > 38.50C were included in the study. Children suffering from active lung disease were excluded. The following parameters were collected before and 90 minutes after administering antipyretic therapy: temperature, SO2, respiratory rate and pulse rate. RESULTS: Twenty-two subjects completed the study. The mean decrease in temperature was 2.030C. Following the decrease in body temperature, a rise in SO2 was noted in 17 subjects (77.3%). The mean SO2 before the antipyretic therapy was 96.18%. The mean SO2 after the drug administration was 97.73%. The average rise in SO2 was 1.55 ± 1.79% (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Fever in children is associated with decreased SO2. This decrease is not clinically significant in patients with normal baseline SO2. Calculation reveals that in patients with baseline SO2 close to the steep region of the ODC, the same increase of body temperature will cause a significantly greater decrease in SO2. In patients with a baseline SO2 of 91% at body temperature of 370C, an increase in body temperature to 400C is anticipated to cause a 5% decrease in SO2. This decrease has major potential implications concerning treatment decisions.