Oxygen Tension on the Surface of Suction Blister Wounds Measured with a Polarographic Technique in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

A polarographic oxygen electrode, operated at a temperature close to that of the local tissue, was used to measure oxygen tension in blister wounds in healthy volunteers (n: 18). The coefficient of variation (CV) in repeated assessments in single wounds on the lower leg varied between 7.8% and 15%. When deter mined in different volunteers, wound oxygen tension (PO₂) was 8.9±2.0 kilopas cals (kPa) (mean±SD) (CV: 22.7%) on the day of infliction and 7.2±1.4 kPa (CV: 20.0%) on day 1. The oxygen values decreased gradually as healing pro ceeded. It was not established at which stage the reformed epidermis constituted an impediment to oxygen passage from the wound to the electrode, and to avoid this factor it would seem prudent to restrict measuring of wound PO₂ to the first two to three days. The wound PO₂ values were proportional to the oxygen pres sure of air inhaled at 101 kPa and 283 kPa. In forearm wounds, values de creased to zero kPa during brachial arterial occlusion. The oxygen values did not increase beyond the preocclusion level following the release of occlusive pressure. Repeated injections of increasingly concentrated noradrenalin into the blister wound resulted in a decrease in PO₂ followed at higher concentrations by an increase. The findings indicate that the technique may be useful for as sessing oxygen supply to blister wounds.