Pulse oximetry at two sensor placement sites in conscious foals.
Abstract: Pulse oximetry has not been thoroughly evaluated for assessment of oxygenation in conscious foals. Compared with invasive arterial blood sampling, it is a painless and non-invasive method for real-time monitoring of blood oxygen saturation. The aim of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the usability, validity, and reliability of pulse oximetry at two measuring sites (lip and caudal abdominal skin fold) for blood oxygen saturation measurement in conscious foals with and without respiratory compromise. Thirty-two foals under one month of age were used. Nineteen foals had normal respiratory and cardiovascular function, and 13 had pneumonia. Pulse oximetry with a transmittance sensor was performed in triplicate on each foal's lip (n = 196 measurements) and/or skin fold (n = 338 measurements), and arterial blood sample was collected. The oxygen saturation values measured by pulse oximetry from the lip and skin fold were compared with each other (n = 58 measurement pairs) and with the calculated arterial oxygen saturation based on arterial blood samples (n = 93 measurement pairs). Furthermore, repeatability of the pulse oximetry measurements was assessed. Results: Measured blood oxygen saturation was clearly associated with the calculated saturation, but on average (± SD) it was 1.8 (± 3.3) percentage units higher from the lip and 5.7 (± 4.3) percentage units higher from the skin fold than the calculated saturation. In concurrent lip and skin fold measurements within a foal, the skin fold measurements were 2.4 (± 2.4) percentage units higher than the lip measurements. The repeatability of three pulse oximetry saturation measurement results was moderate to good and significantly improved when the measurement furthest from the middle-measured value was excluded. The most deviating measurement was often obtained first. Pulse oximetry in general was well tolerated and easy to perform, but as expected in conscious foals, movement and contact problems generated occasional technical difficulties in some individuals. Conclusions: In conscious foals, pulse oximetry with a transmittance sensor attached to the lip (but not to the skin fold) is a clinically applicable and valid method for arterial blood oxygen saturation determination. Several measurements should be obtained and outliers discarded to obtain a reliable result.
© 2025. The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2025-01-23 PubMed ID: 39849542PubMed Central: PMC11761757DOI: 10.1186/s13028-025-00794-wGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research examines the effectiveness of using pulse oximetry (a non-invasive method for measuring oxygen saturation in blood) at two measuring locations (lip and skin fold) in assessing oxygenation in young foals, particularly those showing signs of respiratory compromise. The study found that while pulse oximetry readings can deviate from arterial blood sample readings, the measurements from the lip are closer in accuracy and therefore more applicable for clinical use.
Background and Aim of the Study
- The primary objective of the study was to evaluate how accurate, usable, and reliable pulse oximetry is for measuring blood oxygen saturation in foals.
- Pulse oximetry was evaluated at two different sensor placement sites – the lip and the skin fold at the back of the abdomen.
- The study also compared pulse oximetry, a painless and non-invasive test, with invasive arterial blood sampling.
- Thirty-two foals less than one month old were included in the study, including some with normal respiratory and cardiovascular function and some with pneumonia.
Methodology
- Pulse oximetry was performed in triplicate on the lip and/or skin fold of each foal using a transmittance sensor.
- Arterial blood samples were collected from the foals for comparison.
- Oxygen saturation levels obtained from the lip and skin fold were compared with each other, and with the arterial blood sample results.
- The researchers also evaluated the repeatability of the pulse oximetry measurements.
Results
- The blood oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry was similar to the calculated saturation from arterial blood samples, but values from the lip were on average 1.8% higher, and values from the skin fold 5.7% higher than the calculated saturation.
- In direct comparisons between lip and skin fold measurements, skin fold measurements were 2.4% higher than lip measurements.
- The consistency of three pulse oximetry saturation measurement results was considered moderate to good. The most deviating results were usually observed in the first measurements.
- Movement and contact issues in some foals caused occasional technical complications, although overall, pulse oximetry was generally well tolerated and easy to conduct.
Conclusions
- When using a pulse oximetry sensor attached to the lip, it provides a valid method for determining the foal’s arterial blood oxygen saturation.
- Measurement results are improved by collecting several results and excluding any outliers.
- The less accurate skin fold pulse oximetry site is not recommended for clinical applications.
Cite This Article
APA
Rossi HS, Mykkänen AK, Junnila JJT, Hyytiäinen HK.
(2025).
Pulse oximetry at two sensor placement sites in conscious foals.
Acta Vet Scand, 67(1), 6.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00794-w Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Viikintie 49, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. heini.rossi@helsinki.fi.
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Viikintie 49, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- EstiMates Oy, Lemminkäisenkatu 14-18, 20520, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Viikintie 49, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / physiology
- Horses / blood
- Oximetry / veterinary
- Oximetry / instrumentation
- Oximetry / methods
- Prospective Studies
- Reproducibility of Results
- Male
- Animals, Newborn
- Female
- Oxygen / blood
- Oxygen Saturation / physiology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / blood
Grant Funding
- 341581 / Academy of Finland
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Finnish Project Authorisation Board approved the study (licence no. ESAVI/37496/2021). Consent for publication: The owners of the foals provided a signed informed consent prior to participation in the study. Prior publication: Data have not been published previously. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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