[Non-invasive method of arterial oxygen saturation monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit (with a review of blood oxygen monitoring methods)].

Recently a new method (pulse oximetry) became available, which enables us to monitor non-invasively the arterial oxygen saturation in neonates. We tested this new method in several premature infants, from the time that oxygen therapy was instituted (IPPV; CPAP), in order to evaluate its potential clinical use. In stable patients we found a better correlation (r = 0.90) between the oxygen saturation measured transcutaneously and that measured in an arterial blood sample that the correlation (r = 0.22) between oxygen tensions measured either transcutaneously or in a blood sample. Although transcutaneous monitoring of the arterial oxygen saturation, especially because it is a continuous process, can be a valuable adjunct in monitoring premature infants who receive extra oxygen, it can not replace the necessity for intermittent blood sampling to determine 'arterial blood gases'. One should also remember that; due to the fact that the position of oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve depends on several factors; the SO2 can not simply be derived from the pO2 or vice versa. Continuous transcutaneous monitoring of oxygen saturation may decrease the frequency with which arterial blood samples for blood gas measurement have to be taken.