Skeletal Muscle Oxygen

Near-infrared spectroscopy on skeletal muscle to anticipate steep blood oxygen drops in advanced COVID-19.

The first paper to be published was on skeletal muscle oxygen being a good indicator for rapid loss of blood oxygen saturation in patients with advanced COVID-19. Essentially, muscle tissue was acting as a reserve of body oxygen and the rapid drop in blood oxygen was due to the stores of oxygen in muscle being depleted. By measuring muscle oxygen tension via near-infrared spectroscopy, a medical practitioner would be able to tell when the stores were running low and perform some sort of intervention.

The paper can be freely accessed and read directly below: