Transcutaneous Oxygen Pressure Measurements with an Electrode Core Temperature of 37 °C

The oxygen pressure of the healthy skin fluctuates between 0 and 4 mm Hg [5]. The application of hyperemizating ointment or heat causes skin oxygen pressure to rise; maximum hyperemia results at temperatures above 40 °C, while the blood flow remains constant [8]. A further increase in blood flow, such as one induced by drugs, cannot be expected, just as a reactive hyperemia cannot be measured. In earlier investigations, a uniform decline in tcPO2 was observed when an electrode was used at 44 °C in patients with arterial occlusive disease under an intra-arterial infusion of various drugs. This we interpreted as a steal phenomenon [2]. If, however, electrode core temperatures between 37 °C and 39 °C are selected, changes in the cutaneous blood flow can be detected [6]. In the following, the results of tcPO2 investigations using an electrode core temperature of 37 °C are reported.