Pulse oximetry is an essential tool that saves lives: A call for standardisation

Abstract

Pneumonia is a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly amongst adults aged >70 years and children. Annual deaths due to pneumonia in these groups was estimated at more than one million and 672 000 worldwide for both groups, respectively, in 2019. The importance of pneumonia is highlighted by impact of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on vulnerable populations. Yet, despite the high impact of pneumonia worldwide, diagnosing pneumonia, especially in children in low- and middle-income countries, remains a big challenge. Frequent clinical signs of pneumonia (cough and difficult or rapid breathing) are non-specific and can overlap with other prevalent diseases in these settings, such as malaria. Equally important, data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that 40% of children with pneumonia symptoms in the 40 countries reporting 90% of child pneumonia deaths never receive medical care for their pneumonia. Furthermore, overdiagnosis of bacterial pneumonia and unnecessary administration of antibiotics poses an extra challenge, particularly in countries with limited resources for diagnostic procedures