Oxygen inhalation-induced transcutaneous Po2 changes as a predictor of amputation level

Noninvasive transcutaneous Po2 (TcpO2) determinations have been developed to study peripheral arterial occlusive disease. To evaluate this technique as a predictor of amputation outcome, a blind, prospective study of 101 patients undergoing 119 amputations (23 above-knee [AK], 57 below-knee [BK], and 39 forefoot) was performed. TcpO2 measurements were obtained from the dorsum of the foot and 10 cm distal to the patella, both prior to and 10 minutes after inhalation of 100% oxygen. On the basis of preliminary results, initial TcpO2 values >10 mm Hg or an increase >10 mm Hg after oxygen inhalation were considered to predict a successful outcome, whereas failure was predicted when the initial TcpO2 value was