Non-invasive monitoring is coming the full circle, making our patients safer!

Non-invasive monitoring is becoming more accurate, more available and mobile. The clinical advantage that this developing technology provides is that the data may be monitored continuously; relatively unobtrusively, and transmitted directly to the caregiver. The downside of being non-invasive has been the potential loss of accuracy in the data displayed. This has been overcome in the measurement of oxygen saturation of hemoglobin by pulse oximetry, in that treatment will be instigated by a decline in oxygen saturation without necessarily an arterial blood gas analysis being performed. The development of pulse oximetry to measure hemoglobin levels (SpHb) has relied on “trend accuracy” to indicate the need for a confirmatory laboratory analysis of hemoglobin level. The study by Applegate et al. [1] confirms the trend accuracy of SpHb as an indication to perform a laboratory confirmation of hemoglobin level. This will lead to earlier laboratory screening, so that developing adverse conditions, such as postoperative bleeding, may be identified at a time that major events, such as failure to rescue can be avoided. This increased availability of non-invasive technology will make patients safer both in our hospitals and at home.