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  • Original Article
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Foot Pulse Oximeter Perfusion Index Correlates with Calf Muscle Perfusion Measured by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Healthy Neonates

Journal of Perinatology volume 25, pages 417–422 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

In critically ill neonates, peripheral perfusion and oxygenation assessment may provide indirect information on the circulatory failure of vital organs during circulatory shock. The development of pulse oximetry has recently made it possible to calculate the perfusion index (PI), obtained from the ratio between the pulsatile and nonpulsatile signals of absorbed light. The main goals of this study were: (1) to study foot PI; and (2) to evaluate the relationship between foot PI, obtained continuously by pulse oximetry, and a number of variables, i.e. blood flow (BF), oxygen delivery (DO2), oxygen consumption (VO2), and fractional oxygen extraction (FOE), measured indirectly by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on the calf in 43 healthy term neonates (weight 3474.6±466.9 g; gestational age 39.1±1.4 weeks).

STUDY DESIGN:

Calf BF, DO2 and VO2 were assessed by NIRS on short-lived venous and arterial occlusion maneuvers. PI was measured on the contralateral foot.

RESULTS:

Foot PI was 1.26±0.39. There was a positive correlation between foot PI and both calf BF (r=0.32, p=0.03) and DO2 (r=0.32, p=0.03), but no correlation was found between foot PI and calf FOE and between foot PI and VO2.

CONCLUSIONS:

In the neonatal intensive care unit, continuously measuring foot PI by pulse oximetry seems clinically more feasible for peripheral perfusion monitoring than spot measurements of the calf BF and/or VO2 by indirect NIRS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Patrizia Zaramella MD, Federica Freato PhD, Diego Giongo MD, Lorena Conte MD & Lino Chiandetti MD

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy

    Valentina Quaresima PhD & Marco Ferrari MD

  3. Epidemiology and Community Medicine Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Andrea Vianello MD

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  1. Patrizia Zaramella MD
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Zaramella, P., Freato, F., Quaresima, V. et al. Foot Pulse Oximeter Perfusion Index Correlates with Calf Muscle Perfusion Measured by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Healthy Neonates. J Perinatol 25, 417–422 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211328

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