Using transcutaneous blood gases to evaluate treatment effects on acute asthma in young children

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Abstract
Transcutaneous pO2 (tcpO2) and pCO2 (tcpCO2) have been used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of an inhaled β2-receptor stimulating bronchodilator, salbutamol, in 26 subjects aged 12 months-7 years, with acute asthmatic symptoms. Clinical improvement in response to β2-stimulator inhalation was matched by a significant increase in tcpO2 and a slight decrease in tcpO2. In the age group 12 months-20 months we also observed children with clear-cut improvement, which demonstrates that a β2-stimulator effect can also be obtained in the age group below 20 months of age. In our opinion, the transcutaneous blood gas technique is useful for evaluating effects of therapeutic interventions in the acute asthma attack in children. It offers special advantages in the young child, as it is noninvasive and does not require active cooperation from the child. Thus, the measurements can be performed in the low age group without sedating the child.