The American medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine has published the results of a study showing that pulse oximeters that measure patients' oxygen levels give false readings in people of a skin color other than white.
Pulse oximeters are attached to the fingertip, and to measure the oxygen level in the blood, they shine red and infrared light through the skin. It has been known since the 1970s that skin pigmentation can interfere with readings, but until now these discrepancies have not been thought to affect patient care.
Among the 3,069 patients treated in Boston's intensive care unit between 2008 and 2019, people of color - c...
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