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Introduction:

Circumstances surrounding the prehospital management of trauma patients may mask clinical signs of inadequate oxygenation. Pulse oximetry (PO) may influence airway management prior to helicopter transport by helping to identify patients with occult hypoxemia.

Methods:

Patients were enrolled in a prospective study. Initially, the flight physician clinically decided how best to manage the patient's airway prior to helicopter transport. The patient's oxygenation saturation (O2at), was determined by PO. Then, the physician reassessed the initial airway management decision based on clinical assessment and knowledge of the O2Sat. All patients had an arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement taken after completion of transport.

Results:

Sixty patients were enrolled. Knowledge of the O2Sat, as determined by pulse oximetry, did not influence airway management. No patients with occult hypoxemia were identified.

Conclusion:

The use of PO in the initial evaluation of trauma patients prior to helicopter transport did not influence the flight physician's initial management of the airway.

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The Role of Pulse Oximetry in the Initial Airway Management of Helicopter Transported, Trauma Victims

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The Role of Pulse Oximetry in the Initial Airway Management of Helicopter Transported, Trauma Victims