An innovative method to prevent infection when measuring the arterial blood gas SpO2 saturation.

Background: Patients are hospitalized for extended periods, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). As a result, the saturation probe (pulse oximeter) remains attached for an extended period and microorganisms can grow in the wet environment. If the pulse oximeters are not reprocessed, cross-infection may occur. The literature contains several studies in which gloves were used for the measurement while various SpO₂ (peripheral arterial oxygen saturation) measurements were compared with each other. However, such comparisons have yet to be made with the results of arterial blood gas SpO₂ measurements by pulse oximeter, considered as the gold standard. The present study aimed to compare arterial blood gas values with the fingertip saturation measurement performed by having adult patients wear gloves of different colors, one after the other, on their fingers and determining the effect of the differently colored gloves (transparent, white, black, light blue) on saturation values.

Methods: The study was conducted on 54 patients in an ICU. Intra-arterial blood gas SpO₂ results were measured. Oxygen saturation was measured while the patient 1. did not wear gloves and 2. sequentially wore a series of gloves of different colors. Paired t-test, correlation analysis, and Bland Altman charts were used to evaluate the results.

Results: The mean SpO₂% value of the participants' intra-arterial blood gas measurements was 97.76±2.04. The mean SpO₂% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a transparent glove was 0.43 points lower than the mean SpO₂% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements (t=0.986, p=0.61). The mean SpO₂% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a white glove was 0.93 points lower than the mean SpO₂% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements (t=1.157, p=0.093).

Conclusion: Of the measurements performed with a glove, the mean SpO₂% value obtained from the measurements of the fingers with a transparent glove was more consistent with the mean SpO₂% value of the intra-arterial blood gas measurements than measurement of the fingers without a glove.