Feasibility and accuracy of a fiberoptic catheter for measurement of venous oxygen saturation in newborn infants.

The current parameters of oxygenation, arterial oxygen saturation and arterial oxygen pressure represent the availability of oxygen to the tissues. Venous oxygen saturation reflects oxygen extraction and could be a more useful indicator of tissue oxygenation. Therefore, we tested the feasibility and accuracy of a fiberoptic catheter, inserted into the right atrium via the umbilical vein, to measure venous oxygen saturation continuously. In 24 of 36 (67%) infants the catheter could be placed into the right atrium. Blood samples were withdrawn through the catheter, analyzed with a hemoximeter and compared with simultaneously recorded oximeter values. The fiberoptic catheter readings correlated significantly with hemoximeter values and the mean difference of the 116 paired samples was -0.37%. We conclude that the success rate and complications of the fiberoptic catheter were similar to previously published results. The oxygen saturation readings accurately represented oxygen saturation in the right atrium in newborn infants.