Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring in acute asthma

Arterial blood oxygen tensions (Pao2) were compared with simultaneously obtained transcutaneous oxygen measurements (TcO2) in 15 children during an acute asthma attack and in 18 children with an illness other than asthma. A close correlation between TcO2 and PaO2 was obtained in the non-asthmatic group but not in the asthmatics. It is suggested that impaired cutaneous blood flow may explain this poor correlation.