ObjectivesTo investigate whether cerebral, liver, and infraumbilical regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) and fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) could be used to diagnose necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and complicated NEC (Bell’s stage 3B or death) during its early stages.MethodsA prospective observational cohort study of preterm infants with suspected or diagnosed NEC. We compared the mean eight-hour cerebral, liver, and infraumbilical rSO2 and FTOE values of infants with no NEC and definite NEC and of infants with uncomplicated and complicated NEC in the first forty-eight hours after onset of symptoms, suspicious for NEC. Furthermore, we determined cut-off values by generating receiver operating characteristics curves in case of significant differences in the first eight-hour mean values of rSO2 between infants with no NEC and definite NEC and between infants with uncomplicated and complicated NEC.ResultsWe included 33 patients: 13 no NEC, 10 with uncomplicated NEC, and 10 with complicated NEC. We found no significant differences in the first twenty-four hours after onset of symptoms in rSO2 and FTOE between infants with no NEC and definite NEC. In preterm infants with complicated NEC, we observed significantly lower cerebral, liver, and infraumbilical rSO2 and higher FTOE within twenty-four hours after onset of symptoms compared with infants with uncomplicated NEC. A continuous cerebral rSO2 ≤ 71% and liver rSO2 ≤ 59% in the first eight hours after onset of symptoms predicted the onset of complicated NEC with a sensitivity of 1.0 and specificity of 0.8, and a sensitivity of 1.0 and specificity of 1.0, respectively.ConclusionsBy measuring the cerebral and splanchnic oxygenation it is possible to differentiate complicated NEC from uncomplicated NEC. In our sample, NIRS monitoring did not proof useful for distinguishing between definite NEC and no NEC in preterm infants with clinical signs suspicious of NEC.
Background: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is common in preterm infants and is associated with significant morbidity. To determine whether the PDA is hemodynamically significant (HSDA), several echocardiographic parameters have been suggested, including retrograde diastolic blood flow in the descending aorta (Dao). Objective: To assess the impact ofan HSDA, including retrograde diastolic flow in the Dao, on regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2) and extraction measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Methods: This is a prospective observational cohort study in which we included preterm infants (GA <32 weeks) who underwent echocardiographic screening because of clinical signs of an HSDA within 2 weeks after birth. We measured cerebral and renal rSO2 on the day of echocardiography. HSDA was diagnosed if left-to-right shunting through the PDA was accompanied by left atrial-to-aortic root ratio >1.4 and/or left pulmonary artery end-diastolic flow velocity >0.2 m/s and/or retrograde diastolic blood flow in the Dao. Results: Forty-nine infants were included, with a median GA of 27.6 weeks (IQR: 26.1-29.0), birth weight of 980 g (IQR: 800-1,200), and postnatal age of 77 h (IQR: 70-107). Infants with a closed duct (n = 11), a non-HSDA (n = 18), and an HSDA (n = 20) had similar cerebral and renal NIRS measurements. Retrograde diastolic blood flow in the Dao, present in 11 infants with PDA, also did not affect cerebral and renal NIRS measurements. Conclusion: In preterm infants with clinical signs of an HSDA within 2 weeks after birth, cerebral and renal oxygen saturation and extraction are not affected by an HSDA or by retrograde diastolic blood flow in the Dao.
Using NIRS as method for monitoring oxygen saturation simultaneously in both the liver and infra-umbilical regions is safe and feasible. Additionally, we demonstrated that values of liver and infra-umbilical oxygen saturation cannot be randomly substituted one for the other for the purpose of assessing splanchnic oxygenation.
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