Light-Based Oxygen Sensor Tracks Dangerous Blood Clots in Newborns

Researchers in Hangzhou, China, reported a preliminary bedside approach that uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to monitor for catheter-related venous thrombosis in newborns. In a case study in BMC Pediatrics, clinicians continuously tracked the tissue oxygen saturation index (TOI) in the limbs of two premature or critically ill infants who developed clotting around life-sustaining catheters. The team says the method could help reveal, in real time, whether blood is pooling behind a clot and whether clot-dissolving therapy is working, without needles, radiation, or transporting babies to imaging suites. The study also defined a safe TOI range of 58–68 percent for comparison.