ABSTRACT
The metabolism of all living cells in the body requires oxygen and an energy substrate, generally glucose. As the result of oxidative metabolism, heat and CO2 are produced as well as regulated molecular by-products, and O2 in the blood is consumed. The lungs are the organs in which the external atmosphere interfaces with the body's blood supply; O2 is taken in and CO2 is exhaled. The partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in an alveolus is typically 104 mmHg. Any disease or condition that interferes with the normal exchange of gases in the alveoli, the transport of O2 to the systemic capillaries, the return of CO2 to the lungs, and the exchange of O2 and CO2 in the systemic microcirculation will give rise to life-threatening hypoxia and/or acidosis. This chapter describes NI chemical means of monitoring pO2 in the body. There are several reliable chemical gas sensors that work well when immersed in blood, in vitro or in vivo.
