Stay updated with breaking news from Michael Sjoding. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
The US Food and Drug Administration warned that the pulse oximeters, which have increased in use during the COVID-19 pandemic, may yield inaccurate results.
Experts and lawmakers have expressed concern about potential racial disparities in the readings of pulse oximeters.
Sean Key says: This is a burning issue that does need resolving. However, in the middle of a 1-100 year pandemic in which citizens could benefit from using pulse oximeters at home to spot early signs of deterioration, getting admitted to hospital earlier and having a much shorter stay in hospital, we need to be careful about what messages we send to the wider population. Headlines have been disseminated from this article that ‘Pulse Oximeters are racist’ which play into the current political conversation on both sides of the pond and can be seen as ‘common sense’. If the outcom...
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-wordpress-client-uploads/wweek/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/19163504/WWEB20201202-multco-pcc-flucovid-clinic-mn-13_50676535266_o.jpg)
Updated February 8 A pulse oximeter measures blood oxygen levels and is one of the key ways to determine how serious someone's case of COVID-19 is. But it's not always a racially equitable device. It can produce inaccurate results for people with darker skin tones. And we know that thanks to an Oregonian. THE FINDING: Michael Sjoding, a pulmonary physician and professor based in Michigan and originally from Salem, Ore., conducted a study on the device, which was published in December. His findings were first noted by the Salem Reporter. The results, which analyzed white and Black ICU pa...
Widely used medical device has higher error rate in darker skin, study suggest Widely used medical device has higher error rate in darker skin, study suggest Popular medical device, pulse oximeter, is showing false readings for people with darker skins, leaving medical professionals concerned in a pandemic that's disproportionately impacted black and brown communities. Candese Charles reports. OAKLAND, Calif. - Pulse oximeters are widely used medical devices. During the pandemic they've been used even more, with doctors encouraging patients with COVID to use them at home. But, a recent Univ...