Estimation of the optimal tissue oxygenation parameters in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

We hypothesised earlier that the simultaneous examination of the basic tissue oxygenation parameters (O2 delivery-DO2, O2 extraction ratio-O2ER, O2 consumption-VO2) results in a more adequate relationship to characterize the oxidative metabolism of tissues than a separate evaluation. The aim of present study was to prove this hypothesis. That is for while the results of these oxygenation measurements were examined simultaneously in a 3-dimensional analysis in 30 patients with ARDS. It was found that all measured values distributed on a 3-dimensional space net. An optimal range on the tissue oxygenation surface could be separated where 64% of the data of survivors were inside this range, while 77% of the data of "late stage" nonsurvivors--patients, where the measurement were done on the last 5 days of their life--were outside this range. The therapeutic goal in the treatment of ARDS patients is to change the oxygenation parameters to be inside this optimal range.