Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 46, Issue 6 1200-1204, Copyright © 1979 by American Physiological Society
A method for measurement of oxygen uptake in neonates
D. B. Raemer, D. R. Westenskow, D. K. Gehmlich, C. P. Richardson and W. S. Jordan
The frequent use of continuous positive airway pressure and positive
end-expiratory pressure in newborn infants with pulmonary disease has
prevented the use of conventional methods for measuring oxygen uptake (VO2)
in intensive-care units. A feed-back replenishment technique for the
determination of the oxygen uptake of these newborn infants has been
developed. An instrument utilizing this method has been designed and built
permitting continuous VO2 monitoring without interfering in the routine
ventilatory therapy of the critically ill infant. Theoretical, bench, and
animal experiments using room air as an inspired gas indicate instrument
accuracies as a percentage of full scale of 2.4, 2.8, and 7.3,
respectively. Preliminary trials on infants demonstrate that the instrument
functions satisfactorily in the newborn intensive-care unit.
