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Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia
13:13

Biochemical Measurement of Neonatal Hypoxia

Published on: August 24, 2011

[Rhythmic fluctuations in hemoglobin oxygen affinity in premature infants over the space of 24 hours]

G V Iatsyk, M D Mitish, E V Siutkina

    Biulleten' Eksperimental'Noi Biologii I Meditsiny
    |October 1, 1993
    PubMed

    Insights

    Preterm infants with perinatal encephalopathy exhibit daily, rhythmic variations in hemoglobin-oxygen affinity (P50). These P50 changes correlate with oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, indicating potential periodic physiological regulation.

    Area of Science:

    • Neonatology
    • Physiology
    • Biomedical Engineering

    Background:

    • Hemoglobin-oxygen affinity, quantified by P50, is crucial for oxygen delivery.
    • Perinatal encephalopathy in preterm infants can impact cardiorespiratory stability.
    • Understanding dynamic changes in P50 is essential for managing these vulnerable infants.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the time variations of P50 in preterm infants with perinatal encephalopathy.
    • To assess the rhythmic nature and correlations of P50 with other physiological parameters.

    Main Methods:

    • Employed a noninvasive method to estimate P50, reflecting hemoglobin-oxygen binding.
    • Monitored P50, transcutaneous carbon dioxide (tcpCO2), transcutaneous oxygen (tcpO2), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) over 24 hours.
    • Analyzed data for rhythmic variations using cosine curve fitting and assessed correlations between parameters.

    Main Results:

    • Significant 24-hour P50 variations were observed in 16 preterm infants.
    • These P50 changes exhibited rhythmic patterns with periods of 3-35 hours.
    • A significant correlation between tcpO2 and P50 was found in 10 infants, with coinciding acrophases in 7.

    Conclusions:

    • P50 exhibits significant, periodic daily variations in preterm infants with perinatal encephalopathy.
    • These variations are associated with fluctuations in tcpCO2, tcpO2, and SpO2.
    • Changes in P50 may be partly influenced by alterations in pCO2, suggesting complex physiological regulation.

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