What it means
In everyday English, saturation means how much of something is filled up, as a wet sponge is saturated with water. At the bedside it almost always means oxygen saturation: how much of the hemoglobinHEE-muh-gloh-binThe iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.hem/o bloodglobin proteinFull entry in red blood cells is carrying oxygen, written as a percentage. SpO2 is measured with a pulse oximetryPULS ok-SIM-uh-treeA painless test that uses light through a finger, toe or earlobe to estimate how much oxygen the blood is carrying.ox- oxygen-metry measuringFull entry on a finger or ear; SaO2 comes from an arterial blood gasar-TEER-ee-ul BLUD GASA blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.Full entry . A dressing that is soaked through with drainage is also called saturated.
For the nurse
Report a falling saturation, and look at the client as well as the number: check breathing, color and level of alertness. A client with long-term lung disease may have an ordered target that is lower, such as 88–92%.
In a chart
"Saturation 89% on room air; 2 L/min oxygen applied by nasal cannula, now 94%."
At a glance
| Normal range | Oxygen saturation 95–100% |
|---|---|
| Spanish | saturación |
| Also written | saturations, oxygen saturation, oxygen saturations, O2 sat, O2 sats, SpO2, SpO₂, SaO2, peripheral oxygen saturation |
Related terms
pulse oximetry
A painless test that uses light through a finger, toe or earlobe to estimate how much oxygen the blood is carrying.
oxygen
A gas in the air that every cell needs, also given as a medicine at higher amounts than room air.
hemoglobin
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, and the blood test that measures it.
arterial blood gas
A blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.
hypoxemia
A level of oxygen in the blood below normal.