Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Oxygen saturation calculation procedures: A critical analysis of six equations for the determination of oxygen saturation

  • Originals
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Photometrically measured values of O2-saturation (SO2) were compared with SO2 predictions on the basis of the equations proposed by Heck, Kelman, Lutz, Marsoner, Severinghaus, and Siggaard-Andersen on 1350 occasions. Capillary, venous and mixed venous blood samples from 23 healthy subjects and 30 patients, suffering from cardio-pulmonary diseases were analyzed at rest, during exhaustion, limited exercise and during the recovery phase of ergometric tests. Overall the best agreements with the measured values were found for the equations of Kelman, Severinghaus and Siggaard-Andersen. The results of Heck's, Lutz', and Marsoner's preditions were in reasonable agreement with the measured SO2 only under special physiological conditions. No calculation mode can be performed with constant accuracy and reliability when covering a wide range of acid-base values. If SO2 values are used for further calculations e.g. for determination of cardiac output, measured values are preferred.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heck H, Hollmann W (1975) Berechnung der Werte des Säure-Basen-Status mit Hilfe eines Tischcomputers. Sportarzt Sportmed 25:154

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kelman GR (1966) Digital computer subroutine for the conversion of oxygen tension into saturation. J Appl Physiol 21:1375

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lutz J, Schulze H-G, Michael UF (1975) Calculation of O2-saturation and of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve for different species, using a new programmable pocket calculator. Pflügers Arch 359:285

    Google Scholar 

  4. Schulze H-G, Lutz J (1977) Bestimmung von Parametern des Säure-Basen-Haushalts durch programmierbare Taschenrechner. Med Klin 72:1429

    Google Scholar 

  5. Marsoner HJ, Harnoncourt K (1976) Berechnung der Sauerstoffsättigung als Funktion von pO2, pH, Temperatur und Basenabweichung. Anaesthesist 25:345

    Google Scholar 

  6. Severinghaus JW (1979) Simple, accurate equations for human blood O2 computations. J Appl Physiol 46:599

    Google Scholar 

  7. Siggaard-Andersen O (1980) Determination and presentation of acid-base data. Contr Nephrol 21:128

    Google Scholar 

  8. BMDP-83 (1983) Biomedical computer programs p-series. University of California Press, Berkely

  9. Fiehn W (1988) Met-Hämoglobin-Konzentration im Blut unter physiologischen und pathologischen Bedingungen. In: Zander R, Mertzlufft FO (eds) Der Sauerstoff-Status des arteriellen Blutes. Karger, Basel, p 187

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zander R (1988) COHb-Konzentrationen im Blut bei Rauchern und Nichtrauchern. In: Zander R, Mertzlufft FO (eds) Der Sauerstoff-Status der arteriellen Blutes. Karger Basel, p 183

    Google Scholar 

  11. Zander R (1988) Vergleich der berechneten mit der in vitro gemessenen arteriellen O2-Sättigung (Blutgasanalysator vs. Oxymeter). In: Zander R, Mertzlufft FO (eds) Der Sauerstoff-Status des arteriellen Blutes. Karger, Basel, p 120

    Google Scholar 

  12. Aberman A, Cavanilles JM, Michaels S, Herbert Shubin S, Weil MH (1976) In vitro changes in blood p50 and erthrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentration. Clin Chem 22:1073

    Google Scholar 

  13. Siggaard-Andersen O, Wimberley PD, Göthgen IH, Siggaard-Andersen M (1984) A mathematical model of the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve of human blood and of the oxygen partial pressure as a function of temperature. Clin Chem 30:1646

    Google Scholar 

  14. Siggaard-Andersen, Wimberley PD, Fogh-Andersen N, Göthgen IH (1988) Measured and derived quantities with modern pH and blood gas equipment: calculation algorithms with 54 equations. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 48 [Suppl] 189:7

    Google Scholar 

  15. Breuer H-WM, Goeckenjan G, Heinen E, Loogen F (1984) Berechnete und gemessene Sauerstoffsättigung. Anaesth Intensivther Notfallmed 19:71

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mertzlufft FO (1988) Messung der arteriellen O2-Sättigung mit Oxymetern. In: Zander R, Mertzlufft FO (eds) Der Sauerstoff-Status des arteriellen Blutes. Karger, Basel, p 93

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, FRG

    H. -W. M. Breuer, H. Groeben, J. Breuer & H. Worth

Authors
  1. H. -W. M. Breuer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Groeben
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Breuer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Worth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Breuer, H.W.M., Groeben, H., Breuer, J. et al. Oxygen saturation calculation procedures: A critical analysis of six equations for the determination of oxygen saturation. Intensive Care Med 15, 385–389 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261498

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261498

Key words

Search

Navigation