P044 Assessing Sp02 Data Reliability in a Paediatric Laboratory: A Comparative Study of Pulse Oximetry and Transcutaneous Oxygen Monitoring

INTRODUCTION: Pulse oximetry is the primary method for measuring Sp02 in polysomnography studies to determine the presence of sleep apnoea. In paediatric studies where there is significant artefact in pulse oximetry, we investigate if transcutaneous oxygen monitoring (TcOM) can be used as a reliable alternative to measure blood oxygen concentration (Sp02). METHODS: A comparison of pulse oximetry (Nonin) and TcOM (Sentec) data was performed by a retrospective analysis of 16 diagnostic studies (Male=50%; Median age= 8±4.69SD). 6 studies were excluded due to: AHI >5/hr, missing data and artefact. A comparison was made between the two sampling methods for: Oxygen desaturation index (ODI) per hour, nadir and baseline. Statistical analysis run was a paired t-test. RESULTS: Poor test-retest reliability was observed for all parameters- mean(SD): ODI Nonin=1.13(1.24), ODI Sentec=50.74(29.13)*; Nadir Nonin=91.10(3.78), Nadir Sentec=69.10(10.62)*; Baseline Nonin=98.(0.57), baseline Sentec=99.50(0.71)*. These results strongly indicate a significant statistical difference between data groups. *indicates P=<0.05 DISCUSSION: Our analysis demonstrated inconsistent data between the two methods, and unstable Tc0M readings, which if used could lead to misdiagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing. Further comparative analysis using different Tc0M skin sites could yield more reliable data. Two reliable sources of SpO2 data would provide an in-clinic verification tool in instances of significant artefact or troubleshooting, to improve quality of studies conducted.