. Reliability of pulsioxymetry in the assessment of heart rate compared to other non invasive methods.
Introduction: Few information are available on the reliability of the assessment or heart rate.
Aim: This study evaluates the reliability of the pulse oximeter in the detection of heart rate (HR), in comparison with ECG, radial pulse palpation and using an App for smartphones.
Methods: The heart rate was assessed on 55 nursing students in two sessions:1 - Pulse Oximeter, ECG, radial pulse; 2 - Pulse Oximeter, ECG, Heart Rate Plus App.
Results: No significant differences were observed for the HR measured with pulse oximeter, ECG, radial pulse and App (P = 0.501). The HR of students that do not practice physical training is higher compared to other students. The comparison of different methods showed that HR differences between sedentary and active students were no longer significant with HR detection by palpation on the radial pulse (sedentary and active students P = 0.086) and pulse oximeter (sedentary and active students P = 0.054).
Conclusions: The pulse oximeter and the App can be considered reliable instruments for the detection of heart rate, as long as their use is limited to healthy adults. In the clinic assessment the use of the pulse oximeter and the palpation of the radial pulse could be the least reliable methods. Unlike the pulse oximeter, the App can be effectively used in sports.