System and methods for measuring oxygenation parameters

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for calculating, in real-time, various oxygenation parameters including total oxygen transport, mixed venous blood oxygen tension and mixed venous blood oxyhemoglobin saturation in a patient. The system preferably uses a computer, an arterial pressure line and a blood chemistry monitor to assist a physician in accurately determining when to give a patient a blood transfusion or otherwise alter the clinical management of that patient.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A relatively non-invasive method for determining, in real-time, one or more physiological parameters indicative of a tissue oxygenation status of a patient, comprising the steps of: 
 attaching a catheter to an artery of said patient, wherein said catheter is not attached to a pulmonary vein or pulmonary artery;    storing oxygenation constants into a first computer memory;    calculating beat-to-beat cardiac output values (CO) of a patient in real-time, wherein the cardiac output values are saved to a second computer memory;    determining the arterial oxygen content (CaO 2 ) of said patient; and    using said cardiac output values and said arterial oxygen content to calculate, in real-time, said one or more parameters indicative of tissue oxygenation status of a patient wherein said parameters are updated often enough to provide a clinically useful indication of the patient's condition.