Near Infrared Spectroscopy Used to Detect Impaired Tissue Oxygen Saturation

A new study by researchers at the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry (Ontario, Canada) used near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect impaired tissue oxygen saturation in patients with this syndrome.

The purpose of the study was to determine if NIRS could detect differences in deep tissue oxygen saturation and microcirculatory function in the hands of patients with CRPS 1.

The researchers evaluated tissue oxygen saturation at baseline and during an ischemia reperfusion challenge using vascular occlusion testing in affected versus unaffected hands of patients with unilateral upper limb CRPS 1. A non-randomized experimental study design was used with baseline deep tissue oxygen saturation as the primary measure.

The results showed that independent of handedness, the baseline oxygen saturation of the affected hands of ten patients was significantly lower than that of their unaffected hands. The baseline oxygen saturation of affected hands was also significantly lower than that of the non-dominant hands of 10 volunteers.

The researchers concluded that hands of patients affected by CRPS 1 of the upper limb showed significantly lower deep tissue oxygen saturation compared with their unaffected hand as well as the hands of control subjects.