[Practical experience in monitoring the oxygen saturation of central venous blood in pediatric anesthesia-resuscitation].

Venous central oximetry (ScO2) in high-risk pediatric surgical patients (myopathies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia) is an useful guide to treatment. ScO2 was monitored in 15 patients (4 neonates) during and after thoracic interventions or interventions involving manipulation of the liver. Oximetrix ScO2 is not more invasive than a catheter of common stiffness, but the size 4F remains large for neonates. The physiological or pathological signification of its variation has to be deduced from clinical evaluation. Interpretation may be easier during anesthesia and in the absence of sepsis. ScO2 can be used either as a sensitive monitoring with usually an early response, to evaluate judicious treatment, or as an indirect way to evaluate cardiac output if the other factors of the Fick relation can be estimated or measured.