Nomograms from 44647 Oxygen Saturations from Neonates Screened for Congenital Heart Disease in Northeast Brazil

Background: Pulse oxygen saturation (POS) is a great strategy for screening critical congenital heart disease. Nomograms for pre-ductal and post-ductal POS have been described, but several factors like skin color, ambient temperature, altitude, presence of anemia, and others can modify them. Therefore, the analysis of nomograms in a developing country can be useful to optimize the screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD). Objectives: to describe and analyze results of nomograms derived from pulse oximetry saturations from newborns screened for critical congenital heart disease in a state in Northeast Brazil. Methods: Asymptomatic newborns with gestational age equal or above 34 weeks were screened for critical congenital heart disease through physical examination and pulse oximetry. We divided them according to gender, Apgar, the time when the pulse oximetry was performed and gestational age. The results of pre and post ductal saturations were compared among these groups with non-parametric tests. Twenty health centers were included. Results : 44647 newborns screened for critical congenital heart disease were analyzed. The mean for preductal saturation was 97.37% and for post-ductal saturation was 97.44%. Statistical differences were encountered between pre and postducal saturations in almost all groups. Preterm neonates had lower saturations when compared with term neonates (p