Thresholds for oximetry alarms and target range in the NICU: an observational assessment based on likely oxygen tension and maturity

Table 4 Risk of Hyperoxemia at potential High SpO₂ Alarm Limits by Maturity Category

	95% SpO₂	96% SpO₂	97% SpO₂	98% SpO₂	p
PMA < 33
n	175	154	150	126
Risk > 80 (%)	18% (12–23%)	12% (7–18%)	37% (30–45%)	45% (34–54%)	< 0.001
Risk > 99 (%)	7% (3–11%)	4% (1–7%)	14% (8–20%)	25% (18–33%)	< 0.001
PaO₂	63 (54–73)	62 (54–73)	71 (60–88)	80 (63–100)	< 0.001
PMA 33–36
n	156	172	190	225
Risk > 80 (%)	28% (0.21–0.35)	26% (19–32%)	0.43 (36–50%)	0.61 (54–67%)	< 0.001
Risk > 99 (%)	10% (6–15%)	13% (8–18%)	20% (14–25%)	34% (28–40%)	< 0.001
PaO₂	68 (61–81)	70 (62–81)	79 (67–92)	86 (73–108)	< 0.001
PMA > 36
n	959	1156	1483	1729
Risk > 80 (%)	28% (25–31%)	42% (39–45%)	56% (53–58%)	70% (68–72%)	< 0.001
Risk > 99 (%)	14% (10–14%)	20% (17–22%)	28% (26–30%)	42% (41–45%)	< 0.001
PaO₂	70 (61–83)	76 (65–93)	84 (70–103)	94 (78–124)	< 0.001

Severe hyperoxemia defined as > 99 mmHg. Differences in risk evaluated with chi-square test. PaO₂ presented as median (IQR) with differences evaluated with Kruskal-Wallis test. PaO₂ pairs within each maturity category are also statistically different (p < 0.001) except the difference between 95 and 96% SpO₂ in both the < 33 weeks and 33–36 weeks groups

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