Feasibility of pulse oximetry in the initial prehospital management of victims of drowning : A preliminary study

Abstract Aim Immediate delivery of oxygen is the most important treatment for victims of drowning at the rescue site. Monitoring oxygen saturation with pulse oximetry is potentially useful, but its use may be limited by poor peripheral perfusion due to hypothermia. This preliminary study explores the feasibility of pulse oximetry in simulated minor drowning scenarios. Materials and methods Six different pulse oximeters were tested on ten healthy volunteers after brief submersion, after ten minutes of swimming in a swimming pool (warm water, temperature 21 °C), and in the sea (cold water, temperature 16 °C). A measured oxygen saturation reading ≤94% was assumed to be incorrect. Results There was considerable variability between each pulse oximeter. In warm water, 5.8% of measurements were outside the predicted range (8.3% after submersion, 3.3% after swimming), compared to 34% in cold water (20% after submersion, 48% after swimming). The spurious measurements came from two pulse oximeters in warm water, but from all six in cold water. The best and worst performing pulse oximeters showed 5% and 33% measurements respectively outside the predicted range. Conclusion The performance of pulse oximeters varies considerably in healthy volunteers submersed or immersed in warm or cold water. Further studies are needed to understand these differences.