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15Monitoring tcGas
The tcGas module measures the partial pressure of the oxygen and carbon dioxide that diffuses
through the skin, thereby providing a measure of these gases in the capillary blood.
The monitor's settings for altitude and barometric pressure influence the measurement. The tcpO
2
/
tcpCO
2
measurement is valid for an infant patient not under gas anesthesia. Anesthetic agents, such as
halothane, can cause incorrect or drifting readings.
Transcutaneous measurements cannot replace arterial blood gas monitoring. However, you can use
transcutaneous monitoring to reduce the frequency of arterial sampling. The values at tissue level will
not be the same as those measured arterially because the measurement is transcutaneous. They
correlate with (track closely) the arterial values. For example, a drop in transcutaneous values usually
indicates a corresponding drop in arterial values.
Transcutaneous values will not always correlate with blood samples taken from the capillary blood of
the heel (heelsticks or astrups).
Identifying tcGas Module Components
Setting the tcGas Sensor Temperature
1 In the Setup tcGas menu, select Transducer Temp..
1 Press to enter Setup tcGas menu
2 Press to start calibration
3 Calibration chamber
4 Transducer connector
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