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Updated: Nov 11, 2025

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
Published on: March 14, 2013
Cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation during automated control of inspired oxygen (FiO2 ) in preterm infants
Carlo Dani1,2, Simone Pratesi1, Michele Luzzati1
1Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Objectives:
Our aim in this study was to assess the effect of the Predictive Intelligent Control of Oxygenation (PRICO® ) system on cerebral (rSO2 C) and splanchnic (rSO2 S) oxygenation in a cohort of preterm infants with frequent desaturations.
Methods:
Twenty infants with gestational age <32 weeks (n = 20) were assigned in random sequence to 12 h of automated or manual adjustment of FiO2 . Over this period, they were studied continuously by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).
Results:
We found that rSO2 C [68.0% (60.5%-74.7%) vs. 68.5% (62%-72%); p = .824] and rSO2 S [27.0% (17.3%-45.7%) vs. 27.0% (15%-53%); p = .878] were similar during automatic and manual control of FiO2 . Time spent with SpO2 90%-95% was higher during the automatic than manual control of FiO2 , while time spent with SpO2 <80% or >95% was lower.
Conclusions:
Automated control of FiO2 with PRICO® system did not improve brain and splanchnic oxygenation in comparison with manual control in a cohort of preterm infants, but it significantly decreased SpO2 fluctuations and limited the duration of both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia.
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