Assessment of Mesenteric Tissue Saturation, Oxygen Saturation, and Heart Rate Pre- and Post-Blood Transfusion in Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants Using Abdominal Site Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Background: Preterm infants often receive blood transfusions during hospitalization. Although transfusions are intended to enhance oxygen delivery, previous studies found decreases in tissue and mesenteric oxygen saturation during and after blood transfusions without changes in vital signs and hemoglobin oxygen saturation.

Purpose: To study the effect of blood transfusions on regional mesenteric tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2), hemoglobin saturation of oxygen (SpO2), and heart rate (HR) in premature infants.