Pulse oximeter accuracy under scrutiny: does skin color matter in kids?
NCT ID NCT06529575
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study is checking if pulse oximeters—the clip-on devices that measure oxygen levels—are equally accurate in children with different skin colors. Researchers will compare readings from the device to a precise blood test in 650 children undergoing heart procedures. The goal is to see if skin color affects the reading, which could help make sure all children get the right care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could lead to better understanding of pulse oximeter limitations in children with darker skin, potentially improving oxygen monitoring and reducing health disparities.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may find no significant differences, or results may not apply to all clinical settings or devices.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 650 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Children who are old undergoing a cardiac catheterization procedure at one of the data collection sites and is having a procedure that typically involves direct arterial oxygen saturation measurement by co-oximeter from a location reflective of systemic saturation.
- Ages
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4 weeks to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Child is between 1 month and 18 years old * Child is undergoing a cardiac catheterization procedure that typically involves direct arterial oxygen saturation measurement by co-oximeter from a location reflective of systemic saturation. Exclusion Criteria: * Child previously participated in the study * Child has differential cyanosis across extremities * Child is receiving an intravenous vasoconstrictor prior to procedure * Child has a ventricular assist device (VAD)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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Columbia University Medical Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
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Texas Children's Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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