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Peripheral oxygenation in preterm infants
1Department of Neonatology, Liverpool Women's Hospital, United Kingdom. s.p.wardle@liverpool.ac.uk
Insights
Monitoring peripheral oxygenation offers early warnings for impaired tissue oxygenation. Near infrared spectroscopy shows promise for neonates, potentially guiding clinical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Impaired tissue oxygenation triggers compensatory blood flow redistribution, prioritizing vital organs.
- This leads to reduced peripheral blood flow, making peripheral monitoring a potential early indicator.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for monitoring peripheral oxygenation and their clinical implications.
- To highlight the potential of near infrared spectroscopy in neonates.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing physiological measurements for peripheral oxygenation monitoring.
- Focus on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) applications in preterm neonates.
Main Results:
- Peripheral oxygenation monitoring can provide early detection of compromised tissue oxygenation.
- Near infrared spectroscopy is emerging as a valuable tool for quantifying peripheral oxygenation in preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral oxygenation monitoring is beneficial for early detection of physiological changes.
- Near infrared spectroscopy requires further assessment for guiding clinical interventions in neonates.
Abstract:
When tissue oxygenation is impaired, compensatory mechanisms occur, including a redistribution of blood flow in order to maintain oxygen delivery to vital organs, resulting in a fall in peripheral blood flow. Monitoring peripheral oxygenation therefore has potential benefits as it may provide an early warning of changes in the state of tissue oxygenation. Clinical assessments of the state of peripheral perfusion are common, and several physiological measurements have been described or used which are able to monitor peripheral oxygenation. Some of the available methods and their clinical implications will be reviewed. Near infrared spectroscopy is a particularly promising technique that has only recently been used in the preterm neonate to quantify peripheral oxygenation. It may be of potential value in understanding pathophysiological changes that occur in certain situations and needs further assessment to determine whether it may be useful to guiding clinical interventions.