Monitoring tissue oxygenation in the ICU patient

Important determinants of recovery from acute and critical illness in horses in the intensive care unit are proper treatment of the primary disease and normalization of global perfusion/oxygenation deficits. Global perfusion and oxygenation are closely linked and are frequently disrupted by sepsis or organ dysfunction. Alternatively, global tissue hypoxia (shock) is a key development preceding multiorgan failure and death. Early (within the first hours) goal-directed therapy to normalize central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure, and venous oxygen saturation has been shown to influence survival in humans with shock. In this issue, perfusion is covered in articles by V Cook and FT Bain, G Magdesian, and K Corley and C Marr, and oxygenation is discussed in the article by H Chevalier and T Divers. This article will focus on monitoring global oxygenation and the use of blood products in correcting abnormalities.