Orthogonal Polarization Spectral (OPS)/Sidestream dark field (SDF) imaging: a new method for the observation of the microcirculation in pediatrics

Microcirculation plays an important role both in physiological and pathophysiological states. Early recognition of changes in microcirculation is crucial for starting early therapeutic intervention and reversing the organ failure. Orthogonal polarization spectral (OPS) and Sidestream dark field imaging (SDF) are relatively new noninvasive methods that allow direct visualisation of the microcirculation at the bedside and analysis using semi-quantitative scores. In human medicine, these optical devices have been so far carried out in critically ill adult patients (sepsis, shock, cardiac arrest etc.). To date, only a few medical papers have been published on the use of the technique in children, in particular in preterm neonates. Although it has been the sublingual region commonly used for the observation in adults, the most frequently used site for assessment in newborns is the skin or buccal mucosa. The studies published on the use of OPS/SDF imaging in the newborns show them as a potentially important addition to hemodynamic monitoring in neonatal intensive care.