[Transcutaneous monitoring of oxygen tension in patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases undergoing physical...

Noninvasive monitor-aided transcutaneous determination of oxygen tension--TcPO2 (oxymonitor SM 361, Hellige, FRG) was performed in 32 patients aged 34 to 70 with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) during bicycle ergometry testing of moderate power (300 kgm/min) for 5 min. Respiration biomechanics was investigated before testing in all the patients using the method of total plethysmography (Pulmorex, Fenyves Gut, Switzerland). During testing all the patients were divided into 2 groups with relation to variations of TcPO2 values. A conclusion was made that the type of TcPO2 changes during exercise testing of COPD patients gave an opportunity for distinguishing between different types of bronchial obstruction.