Study Investigates the Effects of Ventilatory Rescue Therapies on the Cerebral Oxygenation of COVID-19 Patients Using Masimo O3

Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) today announced the results of a prospective, observational study published in Critical Care in which researchers in Genoa, Italy, evaluated the impact of a variety of rescue therapies on the systemic and cerebral oxygenation of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).¹ To gauge the impact, the researchers used the Masimo Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Platform with O3 Regional Oximetry, which uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to enable monitoring of tissue oxygen saturation (rSO₂) in the region of interest, such as the brain.

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Masimo Root with O3 Regional Oximetry and SedLine Brain Function Monitoring (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr. Chiara Robba and colleagues noted that “neurological complications are common in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients with COVID-19 and may lead to impaired cerebral hemodynamics,” and further, that respiratory rescue therapies “may have detrimental effects on brain physiology.” Observing, however, that there is currently little data available regarding the effect of rescue therapies on these patients’ brains, and in particular on cerebral oxygenation, the researchers sought to assess the impact of different ventilatory rescue therapies on the brain to help guide clinicians in choosing the most appropriate therapies for their COVID-19 patients.

The rescue therapies studied were recruitment maneuvers (RMs), prone positioning (PP), inhaled nitric oxide (iNO), and extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO₂R). To assess impact, the researchers measured (before and after the application of each method) arterial oxygen saturation (SpO₂), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂), and cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO₂). rSO₂ was obtained using Masimo Root with O3, which also allowed them to observe several additional parameters unique to Masimo O3: ΔO₂Hb, which monitors relative changes in the oxygenated hemoglobin component of rSO₂; ΔHHb, which monitors relative changes in the deoxygenated hemoglobin component of rSO₂; and ΔcHb, which monitors relative changes in total cerebral hemoglobin or blood volume. As a secondary aim, the researchers sought to evaluate the correlation between systemic and cerebral oxygenation.