Pulse oximetry and transcutaneous oxygen tension in hypoxemic neonates and infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

The reliability of pulse oximetry and transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2) was investigated in hypoxemic neonates and older infants with chronic hypoxemia due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). It was found that during severe hypoxemia (tcPO2 less than 40 mmHg and saturation less than 80%) pulse oximetry showed a better correlation with arterial saturation than tcPO2 with arterial oxygen tension. During mild hypoxemia and normoxemia (tcPO2 40-90 mmHg and saturation 80-95%) tcPO2 and pulse oximetry both showed a good correlation with arterial values. Above 95% saturation and a corresponding tcPO2 of 70-120 mmHg, the correlation between arterial and transcutaneous PO2 was better than that between pulse oximetric and arterial saturation. Computer recording and analysis of tcPO2 and pulse oximetry improves the quality of both noninvasive oxygenation parameters in older infants with BPD.