Transcutaneous pO₂ - monitoring in neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Abstract

In preterm infants requiring several weeks of oxygen therapy we have generally found arterial pO₂ (paO₂) values to be 1.5–2.0 kPa above simultaneously obtained transcutaneous pO₂ (tcpO₂) measurements. In a small premature baby with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia who was treated with high pressure/high oxygen ventilation and steroids we experienced paO₂ - tcpO₂ differences as high as 14 kPa. The case demonstrates that the presently used technique for tcpO₂ monitoring may have severe shortcomings, and it stresses the importance of intermittent in vivo correlations between paO₂ and tcpO₂ in newborns with long term pulmonary disorders.

Key-words:

• Adrenal cortex hormones
• blood gas monitoring
• transcutaneous
• infant -newborn