title: Skin microcirculation in healthy term newborn infants--assessment of morphology, perfusion and oxygenation.
abstract: Despite microcirculation's fundamental role, assessments of its function are limited. We explored the applicability of Computer Assisted Video Microscope (CAVM), Laser Doppler Perfusion Measurements (LDPM) and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) to study skin microvascular morphology, perfusion and oxygen saturation in twenty-five healthy newborns day 1-3 of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Day 1-3 (mean (SD)): Microvascular density (CAVM; number of microvessels crossing a grid of lines/mm line, c/mm): Chest: 11.3 (1.5), 11.0 (1.7), 10.7 (1.6). Hand: 13.2 (2.0), 13.2 (1.9), 12.4 (1.6). Capillary density was significantly higher in the hand than in the chest each day (p <  0.001). Perfusion (LDPM; arbitrary units): Chest: 109.1 (26.0), 101.4 (24.6), 100.8 (25.3). Hand: 58.9 (17.5), 54.3 (15.8), 46.9 (14.8). Perfusion was significantly higher in the chest than in the hand each day (p <  0.01). Microvascular oxygen saturation (DRS; %): Chest: 88.1 (5.2), 87.8 (10.0), 86.7 (9.0). Hand: 79.9 (15.2), 82.7 (11.8), 82.2 (12.1) (p <  0.05). Capillary flow velocities (CAVM) were similar in the chest and hand: 60-70% capillaries had "continuous high flow" and 30-40% "continuous low flow".Multimodal skin microvascular assessments with CAVM, LDPM and DRS are feasible with reproducible data in newborns. The hand has lower perfusion, higher capillary density and higher oxygen extraction than the chest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Siv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fredly
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Drude
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fugelseth
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Torjus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Häggblad
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kvernebo
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D055806:Microvessels; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Laser Doppler; microcirculation; skin microcirculation; video microscopy