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Updated: May 28, 2026
11:39
Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
Published on: March 14, 2013
The Peripheral(-Muscle) Oxygenation and Perfusion Score (POP-Score): A New Non-Invasive Tool Associated with
Christina H Wolfsberger1,2,3, Christoph Schlatzer1,2,3, Ena Suppan1,2,3
1Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
A new Peripheral(-muscle) Oxygenation and Perfusion (POP) Score may help detect early signs of infection or inflammation in newborns. This non-invasive score, calculated using tissue oxygenation and vital signs, showed promise in identifying neonates with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP).
Area of Science:
- Neonatal critical care
- Biomedical engineering
- Clinical diagnostics
Background:
- Peripheral(-muscle) oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy is a potential early marker for infection/inflammation.
- Clinical relevance of peripheral(-muscle) oxygenation as an infection marker in neonates is not yet established.
- Need for non-invasive methods to assess neonatal infection/inflammation early.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a Peripheral(-muscle) Oxygenation and Perfusion (POP) Score.
- To assess the association of the POP-Score with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) in term and late-preterm neonates.
- To explore the utility of the POP-Score as an early, non-invasive marker for neonatal infection/inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a prospective observational study including neonates with respiratory distress (≥2000g birth weight, excluding pH < 7.20).
- Development of the POP-Score using peripheral(-muscle) tissue oxygenation index (pTOI), subcutaneous fat thickness, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure.
- Correlation of the POP-Score with CRP levels within 48 hours post-birth; 1:4 matching of neonates based on CRP levels (≥20 mg/L vs. <20 mg/L).
Main Results:
- Thirty neonates were analyzed, with no significant difference in gestational age or birth weight between groups.
- Median POP-Scores were significantly higher in neonates with CRP ≥ 20 mg/L (1.11) compared to those with CRP < 20 mg/L (0.85) (p < 0.001).
- A POP-Score cut-off of 1.00 showed 100% sensitivity and 87% specificity for identifying CRP ≥ 20 mg/L in this exploratory cohort.
Conclusions:
- The study introduces the novel POP-Score for peripheral(-muscle) oxygenation and perfusion assessment in neonates.
- The POP-Score demonstrates potential as an early, non-invasive indicator for infection/inflammation markers like CRP.
- Further validation in larger, adequately powered studies is required before clinical application of the POP-Score.
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