Background: Use of lightguide spectrophotometry (LGS) to assess bowel oxygenation is a relatively new technique. In the context of a clinical study on the use of LGS and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in the bowel, it was necessary to investigate the reproducibility of oxygen saturation (SO2) and laser Doppler flux measurements by different probes. The oral mucosa was used as a model.
Methods: Ten healthy volunteers were recruited for the study. SO2 and LDF were measured on the tongue and oral mucosa at 0, 6 and 24 hours by 5 different probe configurations (3 for LGS and 2 for LDF). Measurements were taken at 10 places on the tongue and mucosa by each probe on each occasion and mean value recorded.
Results: SO2 measurements by different probes showed significant correlation in the tongue and oral mucosa (P<0.05). There was also good agreement of the SO2 measurements by different probes as shown by Bland and Altman plots. The mean (coefficient of variation %) SO2 (%) values for the tongue at 0, 6 and 24 hours were 78.5 (12.8), 81.7 (9.4) and 78.9 (8.0). The mean (CV) values for the mucosa were 82.6 (8.0), 85.8 (6.3) and 84.4 (5.3). The SO2 measurements on the tongue and mucosa at 6 hours were significantly higher than at 0 and 24 hours in all but one case. The LDF measurements on the tongue and mucosa by the 2 probes were correlated significantly (P<0.05) but the measurements had large coefficients of variation ranging from 23.6% to 51.3%.
Conclusion: SO2 measurement by LGS using different probes are reproducible and comparable. As compared to SO2, LDF measurements have large variations.
Singh DB, Stansby G, Harrison DK. Tissue oxygenation and perfusion in the tongue and oral mucosa of healthy subjects. British Microcirculation Annual Scientific Meeting, Queen's University Belfast, 2nd-3rd April 2007.
Dr. David K. Harrison, Durham Unit, Durham. Tel: +44 (0)191-333-2215.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
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