Author: Bhakta NR, Kaminsky DA, Bime C, Thakur N, Hall GL, McCormack MC, Stanojevic S.
Publisher: National Library of Medicine
Publication Year: 2021
Summary: The following article identifies how the COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of the systematic bias of pulse oximetry in individuals with darker skin tones. Some, but not all, models of pulse oximeters report higher values with increasing skin pigmentation. This measurement problem is the result of calibration of light transmission through darker skin based only on light-skinned individuals. This overestimation of blood oxygenation may lead to delayed recognition of more severe diseases. Although the use of race in PFT results has similar implications for delayed recognition of diseases in Black individuals, the underlying problem with PFTs is not one of measurement. PFTs provide a direct measurement, and thus, our focus is not on developing a better device. We need to address the assumptions made when interpreting results with reference equations.