The measurement of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) is simple and fast. This non-invasive and widespread technique gives an indication of the oxygen level in arterial blood. While the method is reliable, there are limitations that can compromise the diagnostic procedure. The objective of the present paper is to list these limitations and discuss the precautions to be taken to optimize the interpretation of the results. Based on the case of a 3-year-old patient who presented with chronic hemoglobin oxygen desaturation, we discuss a decision-making algorithm in order to avoid unnecessary, expensive, and stressful investigations.
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