Conjunctival and transcutaneous oxygen monitoring during cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

To define the utility of transcutaneous and conjunctival oxygen sensors in the emergency setting, we measured serial conjunctival (PcjO2) and transcutaneous (PtcO2) oxygen tensions during CPR in 11 patients. There was no significant correlation between PaO2 and PtcO2 or PcjO2. Improvement or deterioration in clinical condition as assessed by return or loss of palpable blood pressure was consistently and accurately reflected by PcjO2 and PtcO2. PcjO2 responded to changes in physiologic state more rapidly than did PtcO2, with a reaction time of approximately 60 sec. Conjunctival and transcutaneous oxygen sensors provided continuous information on the effectiveness of CPR in terms of peripheral perfusion and tissue oxygenation, and were a valuable adjunct in monitoring the clinical condition of these critically ill patients.