Cerebral oximetry measures oxygen saturation in the brain and is used in surgery to monitor patients’ neurological health. It is non-invasive and can be used in sleep studies. The equipment measures changes in light absorption and provides readings on key values.
Cerebral oximetry is the measurement of oxygen saturation in the brain. This organ requires a large amount of oxygen to function and is extremely sensitive to periods of deprivation. Monitoring oxygen levels can provide important information about a patient’s neurological health and can allow healthcare professionals to quickly address falling oxygen saturation in the brain. This can improve patient outcomes and reduce the risk of brain damage, strokes and other neurological trauma.
Oxygen monitoring is primarily used in an operating room when surgeons are concerned that a patient’s levels may drop. This can be a particular concern with heart surgery, as well as procedures with high blood loss rates and surgeries involving children. The anesthetist can use cerebral oximetry along with other technologies to monitor the patient throughout the procedure. If signs of complications or problems develop, the anesthetist can respond and alert the care team.
The equipment used for cerebral oximetry measurements relies on changes in the absorption of light as it passes through the brain to determine the level of oxygen present. This can provide information about local oxygen saturation and can be combined with readings from other parts of the body to determine the distribution of oxygen throughout the patient. Anesthesiologists can program a display to provide readings on blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and other key values of concern throughout the procedure. The monitoring software also generates a log available for post-intervention review.
This test is non-invasive and should not cause pain or disruption to the patient. The anesthetist or other care provider places the sensors on your skull, tests them to make sure they are working, and connects them to the equipment. These, along with other patient monitoring sensors, can be set up as the surgical team prepares to induce anesthesia. Patients curious about the equipment used can ask for more information.
Besides being used in surgery, cerebral oximetry may have a few other applications. Sleep studies may involve the use of oximetry to evaluate oxygen levels in the brain and other parts of the body to determine if patients experience oxygen deprivation during sleep. This test may also be ordered for other reasons if a doctor deems it necessary. When patients are awake during the test, it is important to avoid jolting the cerebral oximetry cables, as this could dislodge the sensors or disrupt readings and require a retest.
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