Concerning quality demands of arterial partial pressure of oxygen.

The letter discusses the quality demands for arterial partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) and the lack of criteria available for defining necessary limits for bias and coefficient of variation (CV%). The authors propose quality specifications based on clinical judgments and known information on normal ranges. They suggest that the quality demands for arterial pO2 should include a bias of less than 0.2 kPa, a CV of less than 4%, and a total error of less than 0.5 kPa at levels below 5 kPa. These specifications have been implemented in their laboratories until more scientifically based data becomes available. [Extracted from the article]