To ensure reliable, accurate pulse oximetry readings from Nellcor™ forehead SpO₂ sensors, always remember to:
Think PIRATE (Place It Right Above The Eye)
- Prepare the site with alcohol
- Remove the adhesive backing strip
Visual description: A line drawing illustrates a person's head with a Nellcor forehead sensor placed horizontally just above the eyebrow, indicating the correct placement.
Always use the Nellcor™ forehead SpO₂ headband positioned over the sensor and adjust the tension to align green arrows with indicator
Visual description: A line drawing shows a person's head with the forehead sensor and a headband. Arrows indicate the headband being pulled to adjust tension, with a magnified inset showing two green arrows on the headband aligning with an indicator on the sensor.
Alternate the sensor site from above one eye to the other every 12 hours
- Prepare the site with alcohol
- Change the adhesive layer when necessary
- Reapply the headband
Visual description: A line drawing depicts a person's head with the forehead sensor. Curved arrows show the sensor being moved from above one eye to above the other, illustrating the alternating placement.
Because individual skin condition affects the ability of the skin to tolerate sensor placement, with some patients it may be necessary to change the sensor site more frequently.
DO NOT use digit sensors on a patient's head or ears
- When used on foreheads, digit sensors give inaccurate, often overestimated SpO₂ levels (Graph 1)
Visual description: A line drawing shows a person's head with a digit sensor incorrectly placed on the earlobe.
Graph 1: SpO₂ Levels Over Time - Digit Sensor on Forehead vs. Reference
A line graph plots SpO₂ (%) on the Y-axis (70-110) against Elapsed Time (h:min:s) on the X-axis (0:00:00 to 0:16:00). Two lines are shown:
- Digit sensor on forehead SpO₂: This line (yellow/green) generally fluctuates between 95% and 105%, often staying above 100%.
- Digit (reference) SpO₂: This line (blue/green) generally fluctuates between 85% and 95%, consistently lower than the forehead digit sensor line.
The graph demonstrates that digit sensors placed on the forehead tend to overestimate SpO₂ levels compared to a reference SpO₂ measurement.
Forehead sensors detect hypoxemic events faster than other sensors¹⁻³
- The forehead of a healthy adult exposed to cold temperatures stays warm while the fingers, ears and nose lose heat (Figure 1)
- Cold causes vasoconstriction and low peripheral perfusion
- Forehead SpO₂ measurements are more accurate than finger SpO₂ measurements in critically ill patients⁴
Figure 1: Thermal Image of a Person in Cold Conditions
A thermal image shows a person from the chest up, with hands raised. The forehead and central face appear red/orange, indicating higher temperatures (around 35.1°C). The fingers, ears, and nose appear blue/green, indicating lower temperatures (down to 16.3°C). A vertical color scale on the right ranges from 16.3°C (bottom, blue) to 35.1°C (top, red), with intermediate values marked (20, 25, 30, 35).
Nellcor™ pulse oximetry with OxiMax™ technology specifies the most accurate measurement of SpO₂, even in some of the most challenging patients.⁵
