Monitorización de oxigenación cerebral utilizando espectroscopia cercana al infrarrojo (NIRS) en recién nacidos

Cerebral oxygenation measurement using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is being incorporated into intensive care monitoring of critically ill neonatal patients and patients with congenital heart disease in the preoperative, operating room, and postoperative periods. By considering CrSO2 (regional cerebral saturation) values and calculating cFETO (cerebral oxygen fraction of tissue extraction), we provide real-time, non-invasive information on the balance between oxygen delivery and utilization to the brain. This allows for the early detection of situations and pathologies that can cause brain cell damage and/or death and their timely, rational treatment. This review presents the general operation of this technology and the equipment available for clinical use. It also describes which patient groups and clinical situations could benefit from this monitoring. Practical algorithms are also presented for the interpretation and possible intervention in the event of abnormalities in CrSO2 and cFETO values, highlighting its role as a trend monitor. Given that neonatal and cardiac intensive care is largely “brain-oriented,” this technology may be relevant for achieving better outcomes, especially in chronic morbidity caused by disturbances in cerebral O2 supply and utilization.