[Clinical and physiological aspects of transcutaneous oxygen measurements in perinatal medicine (author's transl)].

We report the technical premises, the physiological aspects in connection with calibration, handling, clinical reliability and applicability of the non-invasive Po2 method (tcPo2 technique). In particular we discuss the diagnostic possibilities in monitoring the newborn, for detecting hypoxemia, in monitoring mother and fetus during delivery and the relation of tcPo2 to other parameters usually recorded for monitoring patients.