What Researchers Did
Researchers compared transcutaneous oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions to simultaneous arterial blood gas measurements in 10 healthy volunteers within a hyperbaric chamber to assess their reliability.
What They Found
Transcutaneous oxygen (PtcO2) correlated strongly with arterial oxygen (PaO2) (r² = 0.99), although PtcO2 values were consistently about 10% lower than PaO2 values. Transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) was 2-6 mm Hg higher than arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2), but the correlation was low (r² = 0.21).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy, transcutaneous oxygen monitoring could provide a less invasive method to estimate arterial oxygen levels. However, transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring may not be a reliable substitute for arterial carbon dioxide measurements.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or with Canadian participants.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are based on healthy volunteers, and their applicability to critically ill patients remains unknown.