Minakata Shunsuke
ACTA MEDICA KINKI UNIVERSITY The Kinki University Medical Association 38 (1) 33 - 38 0386-6092 2013/06
[Abstract] A pulse oximeter has been developed recently in which a SpO_2 histogram of any period can be displayed merely by operating keys on the main unit. We conducted easy and quantitative evaluations of the severity of chronic lung disease in newborns (CLD). Subjects were 29 very low birth weight infants (14 in the CLD group ; 15 in the non-CLD group). SpO_2, for 1 to 24 hrs was recorded using a pulse oximeter (N-600X ; Covidien AG) every week after release of the subject from mechanical ventilation control to record the percentage of time when SpO_2, was not less than 96% (96%TIME) and SpO_2 at rest on room air (RAS). The mean 96%TIME increased over time with post-conception age, and was higher in the non-CLD group at all measured time points. Mean RAS also in-creased over time during the same period, and was always higher in the non-CLD group. After Week 38, RAS was not less than 96% in both groups and was not different between the groups, although 96%TIME was significantly lower in the CLD group. Results suggest that increases in the two parameters over time reflect improvements in the oxygenation capacity of CLD infants. The 96%TIME was significantly different after no difference existed between the two groups in RAS. Therefore, results confirmed that 96%TIME obtained from the SpO_2, histogram can be a sensitive indicator to evaluate the severity of the disease in CLD infants who no longer need oxygen administration.