Are Wireless Electronic Stethoscopes Useful for Respiratory Rate Monitoring During Intravenous Sedation?

Morimoto, Keiko; Tsutsui, Yukako; Ogura, Shin; Sunda, Katsuhisa

PURPOSE Wireless stethoscopes can measure respiratory rate noninvasively and continuously, but there are no reports of their use during dental treatment. This study evaluated the usefulness of wireless stethoscopes during dental procedures requiring intravenous sedation (IVS). MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was a prospective cohort study. The study sample consisted of dental patients who received IVS by propofol or midazolam administration at the Nippon Dental University Hospital (Tokyo, Japan). The predictor was respiratory rate measured using the wireless stethoscope (BrRR), and the outcome variable was respiratory rate measured during capnography (RR). Pearson correlation coefficients and paired-samples t tests were used for data analysis. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS The study sample consisted of 12 patients. BrRR and RR were significantly and positively correlated (r = 0.93, P < .01). The mean ± standard deviation of BrRR was 14.16 ± 2.67 and that of RR was 14.32 ± 2.77. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .27). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that wireless stethoscopes are suitable for monitoring respiratory rate during dental procedures requiring IVS because their use is as accurate as capnography.