Pols-oxymetrie bij pasgeborenen

- Oxygen saturation in blood was measured with a Nellcor N-101 pulse oximeter. Comparison with arterial blood samples showed good agreement in 8 normoxaeemic newborns, in 2 infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and in 2 infants with cyanotic heart disease. In the last 2 groups of infants transcutaneous oxygen tension measurement showed lower agreement when compared with arterial blood samples than in normoxaemic infants. In the normoxaemic range (P_aO2 45-80 mmHg; 31 paired values) transcutaneous oxygen tension measurement showed normoxaemia in 26 cases, while pulse oximetry showed normoxaemia (S_aO2 90-98) in 24 cases. In the hypoxaemic range (P_aO2 < 45 mmHg; 33 paired values) hypoxaemia was shown by the measurement of transcutaneous oxygen tension in 30 cases and by pulse oximetry in 26 cases (S_O2 < 90).

It is concluded that the measurement of oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry is a reliable noninvasive technique for monitoring of oxygenation in newborn infants. Pulse oximetry is to be preferred to the transcutaneous measurement of oxygen tension in hypoxaemic infants and in infants with chronic lung disease.