Inaccurate pulse oximeter readings could limit transplants, heart pumps for Black patients with heart failure

University of Michigan researchers find that racially biased pulse oximeter readings may further limit opportunities for Black patients with heart failure — who are already less likely to get treatment — to receive potentially lifesaving therapies, such as heart pumps and transplants.

UCSF Launches Initiative to Address Disparities in Pulse Oximetry Performance

The UCSF Hypoxia Laboratory and UCSF Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA) are formally launching the Open Oximetry Project, a multi-year initiative to improve access to safe pulse oximeters worldwide, by sharing data and creating new standards and technologies for oximeter validation that better account for skin color.

Signs of COVID-19 Mortality May be Easily Measured at Home

Two easily measurable signs of health are distinctly predictive of higher mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study examining the cases of inpatients with COVID-19 at Rush University Medical Center and University of Washington Medicine hospitals.

Can Current Smartphone Technology Tell You When a Pandemic Might Come Calling?

UC San Diego researchers find that an optical tool already embedded in many smartphones can accurately diagnose blood-oxygen levels and help monitor respiratory disease in patients, particularly when they are quarantined at home.