Measurement of oxygen consumption in preterm infants: assessment of a method using a mass spectrometer

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Abstract
A flow-through system for measurement of O2 consumption (.ovrhdot.VO2), CO2 (.ovrhdot.VCO2) and water (.ovrhdot.VH2O) production using a mass spectrometer for analysis of [gas partial pressure (Px)] PO2, PCO2 and PH2O, was assessed with regard to the range expected for very small preterm infants. The technique was tested by burning ethanol, and close correlations were found between the measured and the theoretical .ovrhdot.VO2 (.ovrhdot.VCO2 and .ovrhdot.VH2O) values. Close correlation was also found between the measured and the theoretical .ovrhdot.VO2 when oxygen in the system was displaced by a gas mixture containing 10% O2 in nitrogen. The .ovrhdot.VO2 values found in a small number of infants compare well with values published in the literature. During all tests .ovrhdot.VO2 was also measured using a paramagnetic oxygen analyzer. No significant difference in .ovrhdot.VO2 was found between the theoretical values and the values found with the 2 different methods or between the 2 methods, when the infants were studied.