The current study demonstrates that the IDO2-50% has moderate and significant correlation with the IVC saturation. This remained the case in subset analysis of only data from those with parallel circulation. When compared to near infrared spectroscopy, the IDO2-50% outperformed renal near infrared spectroscopy but not cerebral near infrared spectroscopy in identifying those with an IVC saturation of less than 50. The IDO2-50% has good sensitivity and negative predictive value. Thus, a low IDO2-50% appears to be reassuring while a high IDO2-50% is often present when the IVC saturation is still greater than 50.
These novel data serve as the first publicly available, independent data comparing the IDO2-50% to a measured venous saturation. These are important data as the IDO2-50% is developed to predict the probability that the mixed venous saturation is below 50. It is infrequent that a true mixed venous saturation is available in clinical use although it is much more likely that a central venous saturation is available. Previous data have demonstrated that both the superior vena cava (SVC) and IVC saturation significantly trend with the mixed venous saturation and that the IVC saturation may provide some enhanced ability to discern adverse clinical outcomes when compared to the SVC saturation [15–17]. Due to this, it was felt that characterizing the relationship between the IDO2-50% and the IVC saturation would be of importance. As the venous saturation decreases, the IDO2-50% should increase and as the venous saturation increases, the IDO2-50% should decrease. Although more institutions have implemented T3 into their clinical workflow, this important phenomenon has not truly been demonstrated objectively.
But why is such a surrogate marker of the venous saturation even necessary? As the human body requires oxygen to function, morbidity and mortality increases with decrease in systemic oxygen delivery. This has been demonstrated regionally with decrease in regional venous saturation or increase in regional oxygen extraction ratio being associated with morbidity such as neurodevelopmental delay, necrotizing enterocolitis, acute kidney injury, and liver injury in those with and without congenital heart disease [14, 18–26]. Conventional hemodynamic parameters such as heart rate, arterial saturation, and blood pressure have been demonstrated to be unable to effectively reflect systemic oxygen delivery [1]. Thus, other metrics must be sought. Systemic oxygen delivery is the product of cardiac output and oxygen content. Cardiac output is quantified by the Fick equation which demonstrates that cardiac output is the quotient of oxygen consumption and the arteriovenous oxygen content difference. Oxygen content is the function of hemoglobin and arterial saturation. Thus, systemic oxygen delivery includes hemoglobin, arterial saturation, venous saturation, oxygen consumption, and the partial pressure of oxygen. From this it becomes apparent why conventional hemodynamic monitoring does not adequately reflect systemic oxygen delivery. Oft-used blood pressure is the product of flow and systemic vascular resistance and unless one can monitor systemic vascular resistance it is not possible to know to what degree changes in blood pressure are due to systemic cardiac output rather than systemic vascular resistance. This, however, is a critical distinction as only systemic cardiac output contains oxygen not systemic vascular resistance. Thus, achieving arbitrary blood pressure goals by increasing systemic vascular resistance rather than systemic cardiac output may not offer any benefit in systemic oxygen delivery [27–29].
Venous saturation can be measured directly by venous blood gases, but this is invasive and is associated with cost. Additionally, this can only be done intermittently. Thus, noninvasive means of estimation have been tested. Regional near infrared spectroscopy has been demonstrated to be associated with underlying regional venous saturations and thus has also been demonstrated to be associated with similar morbidity as with regional venous saturations [30]. The IDO2-50% strives to similarly reflect the trend in the mixed venous saturation in a continuous fashion using real-time hemodynamic and laboratory data.
Limited data have been published to date regarding the clinical implications of the IDO2 index. Studies to date demonstrated that the IDO2 index can help identify adverse events in children with sepsis, may assist with evaluating extubation readiness in children after cardiac surgery, may aid in early identification of children at risk for cardiorespiratory arrest, may aid in weaning vasoactive medications in children after cardiac surgery [31–35]. It should be noted that while these studies have demonstrated utility of the IDO2 index one study failed to find that the IDO2 index had prognostic utility [36].
While additive to the literature, these data are not without their limitations. First, this is a single center study and center specific practices may be mediating some of the data. However, as the aim was to correlate two measured values this seems to be of less importance. Second, a central venous saturation was utilized and not a mixed venous saturation although the IDO2 index was designed to estimate the probability of the mixed venous saturation being a certain value. Central venous saturations, both SVC and IVC saturations should trend similarly with the mixed venous saturation thus it is still reasonable to understand the correlation between the two, particularly central venous saturations are what are more commonly available in routine clinical practice. The SVC and IVC saturations should have values within 10 of each other meaning that the difference of to the mixed venous saturation should be even less than that. Thus, the absolute difference of to the actual mixed venous saturation should not be that great. If anything, this means that the current data offer an underestimate of the correlation.
Future studies quantifying the correlation of the IDO2 index to the SVC saturation and the mixed venous saturation will be helpful. Additional studies characterizing the association of the IDO2 index to clinical outcomes will also be helpful.