Evidence to support oxygen guidelines for children with emergency signs in developing countries: A systematic review and physiological and mechanistic analysis

Abstract

There are currently no evidence-based oxygen saturation targets for treating children with life-threatening conditions. We reviewed evidence of SpO2 targets for oxygen therapy in children with emergency signs as per WHO Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment guidelines. We systematically searched for physiological data and international guidelines that would inform a safe approach. Our findings suggest that in children with acute lung disease who do not require resuscitation, a threshold SpO2 for commencing oxygen of 90% will provide adequate oxygen delivery. Although there is no empirical evidence regarding oxygen saturation to target in children with emergency signs from developing coun..