Continuous Transcutaneous Oxygen Tension Measured with a Heated Electrode

Abstract

A new oxygen electrode was constructed and tested. The Clark-type of cell is applied on the skin and has a heating unit. The latter serves to maintain vasodilatation, constant temperature of the electrode, and as a relative means of monitoring blood flow. Eight patients were studied during inhalation provocation tests. Transcutaneous blood PO2 (tcPO2) was of the same order of magnitude as arterial PO2 (PaO2) and changed parallel to PaO2 with a time lag of about 30 seconds. PO2 increased with the degree of hyperventilation in all patients and decreased in those five subjects who became asthmatic. PO2 may be monitored for several hours with the skin electrode.