Pediatric Pearls. Congenital Heart Disease Screen
October 10, 2023
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends every newborn be screened for congenital heart disease prior to leaving the hospital.
What is the test and how is it performed?
The congenital heart disease screen reports oxygen saturation in the upper extremity and oxygen saturation in the lower extremity. Oxygen saturation measures how much oxygen is in the blood. For most healthy adults, a normal oxygen saturation level is between 95% and 100%. We will talk about what normal levels are for newborns below.
To perform the screen a pulse oximetry reading is obtained from the infant’s right hand and right foot. This non-invasive test uses a sensor to read wavelengths reflected from the blood. An oxygen saturation level or “O2 sat” is obtained from each site (not at the same time – usually one machine is used - so first the right hand is obtained, and then the right foot).
