60 % of all neonates develop jaundice during their first week of life and thereby run a risk of getting hyperbilirubinemia.  Although different approaches for establishing treatment criteria have been suggested, treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is usually still based on the measurement of total bilirubin...

An altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level or just above is just about what humans can bear - be it during an acute ascent or for permanent living. This study describes how bodily functions of crucial importance to survival at high altitude adjust after abrupt exposure to severe hypoxia.

Two months of acclimatization to high altitude leads to an adaptation of the aerobic capacity of the myocardium, characterized by an increased ability to extract O₂ from the coronary vascular bed. An increased mitochondrial volume and activity of oxidative enzymes or improved diffusion conditions could be involved.

Examination of peripheral pulses and peripheral blood pressures are commonly used methods for investigation of macrocirculation. However, falsely elevated peripheral blood pressures may complicate the accurate prediction of ulcer healing in diabetic patients.  Because tcpO₂ also measures the nutritive skin capillary...

How relevant is transcutaneous measurements in the detection of critical limb ischemia?  Acutecaretesting.org has asked a group of respected researchers and clinicians in the US and Europe to describe how they use transcutaneous measurements in their daily work.

The pro-con debate on the advisability of introducing POCT deals with the likely clinical benefits but – to an even higher degree – with the economic aspects. We discuss various models for determining the costs, and some caveats.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is a delivery option for performing laboratory testing closer to the patient. Due to increasing healthcare pressures for faster turnaround of laboratory results and the development of a broader menu of testing devices, POCT is growing in popularity. Devices today are more portable,...

The effects of carbon monoxide poisoning have been found to be greatly alleviated, or in some cases eliminated, through the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This paper discusses the pathophysiology of carbon monoxide intoxication and presents an overview of its treatment.

The possibility of continuously monitoring arterial blood oxygen and carbon dioxide using heated surface electrodes on human skin was discovered in the early 1970s and made commercially available by 1976.  These devices were applied initially to premature infants in an effort to reduce the incidence of blindness due...

The use of transcutaneous equipment is an essential element in the daily monitoring of neonates. To ensure reliable results and as little discomfort to neonates as possible, new staff members must be trained thoroughly. Nurse Åse Hansen, from the Copenhagen County Hosital, runs through the basic elements of staff...