Efficacy of pulse oximetry for early diagnosis of pulmonary embolism after total knee arthroplasty

Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) are crucial for preventing severe complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to examine the efficacy of measuring oxygen saturation (SpO ) using a pulse oximeter for early diagnosis of PE after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We consecutively examined 1645 patients who underwent TKA between January 2015 and November 2019. Postoperative SpO was measured with a pulse oximeter, which was stopped if SpO was maintained at ≥ 95% until postoperative day 2 (POD2). To diagnose PE, computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was performed for specific indications, including persistently low SpO