CLINICAL-ASSESSMENT AND MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN-TRANSPORT IN THE CRITICAL CARE SETTING

Adequate delivery of oxygen to the tissues is an important factor both in the initial resuscitation of the shocked patient and subsequently in the development of multiple organ failure. The advent of the pulmon ary artery catheter has facilitated the calculation of global measurem ents of oxygen transport at the bedside. Calculated oxygen delivery in fact represents arterial oxygen dispatch rather than actual oxygen de livery to the respiring tissues. Considerable controversy still surrou nds the issue of resuscitation of critically ill patients to predeterm ined goals for oxygen delivery and consumption. More recently interest has arisen in other measures of oxygen transport, in particular regio nal techniques such as the gastric tonometer. (C) 1997 Published by El sevier Science Ltd.