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Transcutaneous Oxygen Pressure

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Agache’s Measuring the Skin

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Abstract

In normal circulatory conditions, a fraction of the oxygen dissolved in plasma crosses the capillary wall and reaches the tissues, thus providing for their metabolic needs. This occurs in the skin sub-epithelial plexuses, in particular the sub-epidermal one. When the oxygen supply exceeds metabolic needs, the gas reaches the skin surface where it can be detected by a polarographic electrode and its partial pressure measured. The so-called “transcutaneous oxygen pressure” (tcPO2) depends on O2 plasmatic saturation level, and local factors such as epidermal metabolic activity, oxygen diffusion rate through superficial layers, oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) supply, blood flow, and HbO2 dissociation. When pulmonary function is normal, with no sign of anemia or proximal arterial insufficiency, only local factors are involved. Among them, blood flow is essential because it regulates the local oxygen supply. When the skin temperature is below 37°C, the tcPO2 is often low, barely measurable, and furthermore the diameter of the skin vessels varies continuously. For this reason the tcPO2 is usually measured after bringing the skin temperature up to 44°C which induces maximal vasodilation and skin blood flow while the latter keeps constant. As a consequence the tcPO2 is strongly increased and becomes easily measurable.

Pierre Agache: deceased

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Besançon, 3 Boulevard Alexandre Fleming, 25030, Besancon, France

    Pierre Agache

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  1. Pierre Agache
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Correspondence to Pierre Agache .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medecine Vasculaire Lab. Ingénierie et de Biologie Cutanées, CHU Besancon Service Dermatologie et, Besancon, France

    Philippe Humbert

  2. San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard Maibach

  3. Department of Dermatology, Saint Jacques University Hospital, Besançon, France

    Ferial Fanian

  4. Univ. Besançon Dépt. Dermatologie, Besançon, France

    Pierre Agache

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Agache, P. (2015). Transcutaneous Oxygen Pressure. In: Humbert, P., Maibach, H., Fanian, F., Agache, P. (eds) Agache’s Measuring the Skin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_64-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26594-0_64-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-26594-0

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