SynthesisClinical nursing research2025
Do Differences in Skin Pigmentation Affect Detection of Hypoxemia by Pulse Oximetry: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Synthesis in Clinical nursing research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Pulse Oximetry, Skin Pigmentation, and Occult Hypoxemia in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care.Pediatric cardiology · 2026Review
- The Agreement Between Pulse Oximetry and Measured Arterial Oxygen Saturations in Postoperative Functionally Univentricular Patients.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Pulse oximetry is a widely used, noninvasive method for estimating arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). However, emerging evidence suggests that skin pigmentation may affect its accuracy, potentially leading to occult hypoxemia in individuals with darker skin tones. This systematic review examines the impact of skin pigmentation on pulse oximeter accuracy by comparing pulse oximetry (SpO2) readings with arterial blood gas-measured SaO2 across diverse populations. A systematic search of PubMed and Embase was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Eligible studies included those comparing SpO2 to SaO2 while stratifying results by skin pigmentation or race/ethnicity. Data extraction focused on bias in SpO2 readings, study design, and population characteristics. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. Forty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Consistent evidence indicated that pulse oximeters overestimate SaO2 in individuals with darker skin tones, particularly at lower oxygen saturations. This overestimation may delay recognition of hypoxemia and critical interventions. Methodological variability was noted, including inconsistent racial classifications and skin tone assessment methods. Pulse oximeters exhibit a systematic bias in individuals with darker skin tones. Standardized skin pigmentation assessment and improved device calibration are needed to enhance accuracy and ensure equitable patient care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.