Abstract
BACKGROUND: The effect of nail polish on pulse oximetry measurements in non-hypoxic subjects has been studied extensively. Some studies found that nail polish decreased pulse-oximetry (SpO2) values, whereas others found no effects from nail polish.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if nail polish affects SpO2 measurements in mildly hypoxic subjects.
METHODS: At high altitude, 5 investigators, whose mean oxygen saturation was 91.3% (mild hypoxia), and with 2 brands of pulse oximeter and oximetry probe, obtained SpO2 measurements from a finger with nail polish and from the matching finger on the opposite hand without nail polish. We tested 9 different nail-polish colors and made 210 pairs of SpO2 measurements.
RESULTS: The mean ± SD SpO2 values from the fingers with and without nail polish, respectively, were 91.4 ± 4.1% and 91.2 ± 3.5% (difference –0.2 ± 3.2%, 95% confidence interval 0.2% to 0.4%).
CONCLUSIONS: With the pulse oximeters and oximetry probes we tested, nail-polish had no significant effect on SpO2 in mildly hypoxic healthy subjects.
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Loren G Yamamoto MD MPH MBA, Department of Pediatrics, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1319 Punahou Street, #733, Honolulu HI 96826. Email: loreny{at}hawaii.edu.
The authors report no conflicts of interest related to the content of this paper.
- Copyright © 2008 by Daedalus Enterprises Inc.
