12 - 1
12 Monitoring CO
2
12.1 Overview
CO
2
monitoring is a continuous, non-invasive technique for determining the
concentration of CO
2
in the patient’s airway by measuring the absorption of infrared (IR)
light of specific wavelengths. CO
2
has its own absorption characteristic and the amount
of light passing the gas probe depends on the concentration of the measured CO
2
.
When a specific band of IR light passes through respiratory gas samples, some of the IR
light will be absorbed by the CO
2
molecules. The amount of IR light transmitted after it
has been passed through the respiratory gas sample is measured with a photodetector.
From the amount of IR light measured, the concentration of CO
2
is calculated.
The CO
2
measurement is to monitor the patient’s respiratory status.
CO
2
monitoring is intended for adult, pediatric and neonatal patients.
CO
2
monitoring is for VS 9 series only.
CO
2
measurement is available when the monitor is in Continuous Monitoring mode.
12.2 Safety
• Remove the airway sampling line from the patient’s airway while nebulized
medications are being delivered.
• Leakage in the breathing or sampling system may cause the displayed EtCO
2
values to be significantly low. Always make sure that all components are
securely connected.
• EtCO
2
values measured from the CO
2
module may differ from those of from
the blood gas analysis.
• Route all tubing away from the patient’s throat to avoid strangulation.
• Inspect the airway for a tight connection and make proper settings before
attaching it to the patient.
• Squeezing or bending the sampling line during the CO
2
measurement may
cause inaccurate CO
2
reading or no reading.
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