Intraoperative reflectance oximetry in burn patients

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Anesthesiology
• Burn Care

Background:

• Intraoperative monitoring of oxygen saturation is crucial for patient safety.
• Standard transmission oximetry sites are often compromised in burn patients due to the nature of their injuries.
• Finding reliable monitoring sites in burn patients presents a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential value of reflectance oximetry for intraoperative monitoring in burn patients.
• To compare the efficacy of reflectance oximetry with standard transmission oximetry in this population.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous monitoring using both transmission and reflectance oximetry probes during 16 operative procedures.
• Inclusion of acutely burned adult and pediatric patients with varying burn severities and weights.
• Utilized the Nellcor Oxisensor II RS-10 reflectance oximetry probe.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was observed in oxygen saturation measurements between transmission and reflectance oximetry.
• Reflectance oximetry successfully provided adequate signals, even in hyperemic sites like healed partial thickness burns, particularly in smaller children.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of using reflectance oximetry in a diverse group of burn patients.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to report on the clinical use of reflectance oximetry in burn patients.
• Reflectance oximetry, specifically the Nellcor Oxisensor II RS-10 probe, is a clinically useful technique for intraoperative monitoring in burn patients.
• This method provides a valuable alternative when standard transmission oximetry sites are inaccessible.