Respiratory water loss and oxygen consumption in newborn infants during phototherapy.
Respiratory water loss was measured together with oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) in 11 full-term and eight preterm infants (mean gestational age 34 weeks, range 31-36 weeks) before and during 1 h of phototherapy. The method for determination of respiratory water loss, VO2 and VCO2 was based on an open flow-through system with a mass spectrometer for measurement of gas concentrations. All infants were studied naked in an incubator with an ambient relative humidity of 50% and with a controlled environment with respect to temperature and air velocity. The infants were calm during the measurements. Before phototherapy, in term infants respiratory water loss was 4.4 (SD 0.7) mg/kg min and VO2 5.9 (0.9) ml/kg min and in preterm infants respiratory water loss was 4.7 (0.8) mg/kg min and VO2 6.1 (0.8) ml/kg min. No significant difference was found between values obtained during or after 1 h of phototherapy and those obtained before.
Kjartansson
S
S
Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Hammarlund
K
K
Riesenfeld
T
T
Sedin
G
G
D001831:Body Temperature; D001944:Breath Tests; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013696:Temperature; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible / Q000502:physiology*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide