Barr, P. A. (1979).Aust. Paediatr. J.,15, 3–6. Transcutaneous measurement of oxygen tension in infants with hyaline membrane disease. Transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2) using the Roche electrode, was compared with arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) from an indwelling arterial catheter or cannula in thirty‐two infants with hyaline membrane disease. tcPO2 monitoring was performed by neonatal intensive care nurses for as long as seven days. Although the correlation of tcPO2 with PaO2 was good (r 0.713, P<.001), the tcPO2 monitor frequently failed to detect hypoxaemia and hyperoxaemia. Seventy‐eight per cent of recorded PaO2 values90 mmHg were associated with tcPO2 values ≤ 90 mmHg. tcPO2 measurement was not an acceptable alternative to PaO2 measurement. The incidence of hyperoxaemia in seven tcPO2 monitored infants with severe hyaline membrane disease (HMD) (5%) was significantly less than in five unmonitored infants with equally severe HMD (32%) (X2, P<.001). tcPO2 monitoring was useful as a PaO2 trend