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Tonometry to estimate intestinal perfusion in newborn piglets
M E Campbell1, J E Van Aerde, P Y Cheung
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Children's Health Centre Departments of Pediatrics University of Alberta Edmonton Canada.
Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|August 17, 1999
Summary
In newborn piglets, decreasing gastric intramucosal pH correlated with reduced superior mesenteric artery (SMA) flow, especially with epinephrine. Gastric tonometry may help detect gut ischemia in neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Gastrointestinal research
- Hemodynamic monitoring
Background:
- Gut ischemia is a significant concern in neonates.
- Assessing visceral perfusion in newborns presents clinical challenges.
- Gastric intramucosal pH is a potential indicator of gut perfusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between gastric intramucosal pH and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) flow.
- To evaluate the impact of epinephrine on these parameters in a neonatal model.
- To explore the utility of gastric tonometry in assessing neonatal gut ischemia.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen newborn piglets were divided into control and epinephrine groups.
- Epinephrine was administered in escalating doses over 60 minutes.
- Gastric tonometry and SMA flow measurements were performed; intramucosal pH and rCO(2) were calculated.
Main Results:
- Intramucosal pH showed a decreasing trend in both groups, more pronounced in the epinephrine group.
- Increasing epinephrine doses led to decreased SMA flow.
- A significant increase in rCO(2) (p=0.04) and a trend towards decreased intramucosal pH (p=0.06) were observed with higher epinephrine doses.
Conclusions:
- Gastric tonometry may serve as a valuable tool for evaluating gut ischemia in human neonates.
- The study highlights a correlation between reduced SMA flow and gastric intramucosal pH changes.
- Findings suggest potential for non-invasive monitoring of visceral perfusion in critically ill newborns.