Follow-Up Evaluation of Transcutaneous Po2 Monitoring Before and After Adult Exercise Testing

Abstract

We have previously reported on the usefulness of transcutaneous Po2 monitoring during adult exercise testing. That study included analyses of 75 simultaneous arterial and transcutaneous PO2 values from 11 patients. We undertook a second study to evaluate the usefulness of the monitor in a larger patient group. In this second study we retrospectively analyzed simultaneous arterial and transcutaneous PO2 values from 42 adult patients who underwent exercise testing in our pulmonary rehabilitation program. Statistical analysis revealed the correlation coefficient for arterial and transcutaneous Po2s to be 0.91. The slope of the best-fit line is described by the equation Y = 1.16X 17.4. The mean difference between arterial and trans- cutaneous values was 7.3 ± 4.1 torr. The range of arterial Po2s measured was 54-110 torr. These data support our original investigation, which concluded that the trans- cutaneous P02 monitor provides a reliable method of continuously monitoring the changes in arterial oxygen tensions of adults undergoing exercise testing.