Monitoring trauma and intensive care unit resuscitation with tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation

The purpose of the present review is to review our experience with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring in shock resuscitation and predicting clinical outcomes.

The management of critically ill patients with goal-oriented intensive care unit (ICU) resuscitation continues to evolve as our understanding of the appropriate physiologic targets improves. It is now recognized that resuscitation to achieve supranormal indices is not beneficial in all patients and may precipitate abdominal compartment syndrome.

Over the years, ICU technology has provided physicians with specific physiologic parameters to guide shock resuscitation. Throughout this time, the tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation (StO2) monitor has emerged as a non-invasive means to obtain reliable physiologic parameters to guide clinicians' resuscitative efforts. StO2 monitors have been shown to aid in early identification of nonresponders and to predict outcomes in hemorrhagic shock and ICU resuscitation. These data have also been used to better understand and refine existing resuscitation protocols. More recently, use of NIRS technology to guide resuscitation in septic shock has been shown to predict outcomes in high-risk patients.

StO2 is an important tool in identifying high-risk patients in septic and hemorrhagic shock. It is a non-invasive means of obtaining vital information regarding outcome and adequacy of resuscitation.