Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Gentle limb fixation for a faster reliable heart rate obtained with pulse oximeter at birth
- Video recordings of neonatal resuscitations with simultaneous pulse oximetry readings were retrospectively analyzed
- retrospective
+1 more
- retrospective
Authors' conclusion
Pulse oximetry does not seem motion artefact resistant when the first HR is obtained. Gentle limb fixation after sensor application may facilitate more timely clinical assessment.
Study context
- Population
- Neonates ≥24 weeks' gestation undergoing neonatal resuscitationneonates included, median gestational age 30 + 4 weeks (28 + 4–33 + 6)
- Participants
- 178 neonates
- Exposure
- Status of the right limb during the first 10 s after sensor application: movement, no movement, or gentle fixation by a caregiver
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Time to achieve a reliable HRPO
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Percentage of neonates who achieved a reliable HRPO within 30 s after application
- Percentage of neonates who achieved a reliable HRPO within 30 s after application: significantly higher after limb fixation (p < 0.001)
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Gentle limb fixation for a faster reliable heart rate obtained with pulse oximeter at birth. Resuscitation. Published 8 June 2026. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111164
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it