Evaluation of transcutaneous near-infrared spectroscopy for early detection of cardiac arrest in an animal model

Abstract Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Outcomes highly depend on the SCA-to-resuscitation interval, highlighting the clinical need for quick and reliable SCA detection. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a noninvasive optical technique, may have utility for SCA detection. We investigated the ability of hindlimb transcutaneous NIRS to detect changes with pentobarbital-induced cardiac arrest in eight Yucatan miniature pigs. NIRS measurements during cardiac arrest were compared to invasively acquired carotid blood pressure and spinal cord tissue partial oxygen pressure (PO2). We observed statistically significant decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) 64.68 mmHg ± 13.08, p = 0.016), spinal cord PO2 (38.16 mmHg ± 20.04, p = 0.016), and NIRS-derived tissue oxygen saturation (TSI%) (14.50% ± 3.80, p = 0.0078) from baseline to 5 minutes after pentobarbital administration. Euthanasia-to-first change in hemodynamics for MAP and TSI (%) were similar [MAP (10.43 ± 4.73 sec) vs TSI (%) (12.04 ± 1.85 sec), p = 0.605]. No significant difference was detected between NIRS and blood pressure-derived pulse rates during baseline periods (p > 0.99) and following pentobarbital administration (p = 0.97). Similar to invasive indices, transcutaneous NIRS demonstrated marked changes with cardiac arrest and was able to rapidly identify hemodynamic changes. Transcutaneous NIRS monitoring may present a novel and noninvasive approach to SCA detection.