Factors affecting the measurements of peripheral oxygen saturation values in healthy young adults.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine peripheral oxygen saturation values in the index and middle fingers of the dominant hand in healthy young adults measured while lying in a supine position or sitting straight up.

Methods: This study was a non-randomized and non-controlled, quasi-experimental repeated measures study. It was conducted with 200 healthy young adults in Turkey. A pulse oximeter was located at the same time on the index and middle fingers of the active hand of each participant while sitting upright, and after being kept there for 1 min, the results of the measurements were recorded. Later, the participants were brought into a supine position, and after 10 min of rest, measurements with a pulse oximeter placed on the index and middle fingers of the active hand were repeated in the same way.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.4 ± 1.8 years; 76.5% were female, and their mean body mass index was 22.5 ± 3.6 kg/m². It was found that when the individuals were sitting upright, the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the middle finger were significantly higher than the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the middle finger in the supine position (p = 0.003). It was found that the peripheral oxygen saturation values of female participants measured from the index finger in the upright sitting position and from the index and middle fingers in the supine position were significantly higher than the saturation values of male participants (p = 0.018, p < 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). In addition, it was found that the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the index and middle fingers of underweight individuals in the sitting position and from the index and middle fingers in the supine position were significantly higher than the saturation values of overweight individuals (p = 0.021, p = 0.006, p = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: In the conclusions of this study, it was found that the highest oxygen saturation value of the young adults was measured from the middle finger when they were in the upright sitting position. It was also found that the variables of gender and body mass index significantly affected the peripheral oxygen saturation value.