Oxygen monitoring in neonatal medicine.

In perinatal intensive care medicine, hypoxia and hyperoxia are both detrimental to the patient. PO2 measurements of arterial blood can be done in different ways: (1) by analysing blood obtained from an arteriopuncture; (2) by analysing blood obtained from an indwelling arterial (usually umbilical) catheter; (3) by using an indwelling catheter with a built-in O2 electrode; (4) by analysing alveolar air for PO2; (5) by measuring cutaneous arterial PO2 transcutaneously. The common principle of all electrodes mentioned is the polarographic one. It appears that for the clinician, the transcutaneous electrode will become the method of choice in the future because of its non-invasiveness to the patient and because of its capability to provide a continuous PO2 record.