A significant difference in the ability of pulse oximetry to detect low oxygen concentrations for white and Black patients has been found within inpatient departments in Veterans Health Administration hospitals, according to a study published July 6 in the British Medical Journal.
The study analyzed more than 30,000 pairs of pulse oximetry readings across VA hospitals between 2013 and 2019. The measurements were taken from patients in inpatient departments at the hospitals.
The study found white patients faced less measurement bias than Black patients, and the pulse oximeters were more precise when used on white patients. The researchers found Black patients also had excess instances of undetected low blood oxygen saturation compared with white patients, suggesting health systems should invest only in equipment that is equally precise across race.