Tissue oximetry: an interim report.

Tissue oximetry, already a practical reality in some centers, holds considerable promise for clinical use. It has the capacity to monitor the oxygen delivery system and estimate perfusion of tissues; and we suspect it can add considerably to prevention of surgical complications and treatment of surgical infections. Present instruments are relatively difficult to use, but their potential is not being utilized largely because of misconceptions about the transport of oxygen in tissue and the significance of peripheral perfusion. Oximetry measures perfusion, whereas currently popular indices such as urine output are indirect indicators and are often misleading.