Oxygen Saturation Online Course(s) & Continuing Education

There is increasing evidence that optimizing time spent within targeted oxygen saturation limits improves clinical outcomes in premature infants. Recent randomized clinical trials show that preterm infants who spend more time above the target saturation range tend to have increased retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, while those infants who spend a considerable time below the target range tend to have more necrotizing enterocolitis and death. Hence it is imperative that we find out the best way to optimize oxygen saturation targeting in preterm infants. Education programs followed by implementation of oxygen titration guidelines for the bedside nursing staff have been shown to have some benefit. However, the ever-increasing NICU workload often makes it impossible for nurses to adhere to strict oxygen titration guidelines. Automated control of inspired oxygen may provide some respite to the nurses as this recent technology has not only been shown to reduce nursing workload but also to improve oxygen saturation targeting in preterm infants. This is an exciting new innovation which, with more refinement in technology and practice, has the potential of becoming the standard of NICU care in future.