Noninvasive Monitoring of Carbon Dioxide During Mechanical Ventilation in Older Children: End-Tidal Versus Transcutaneous Techniques

Abstract

The authors report on the accuracy of noninvasive, transcutaneous CO(2) monitoring during mechanical ventilation in children 4 yr or older. Application of this technique should be useful by decreasing the need for repeated, costly, and sometimes painful arterial blood gas analysis, and the continuity of assessment should facilitate proactive, rather than reactive, ventilator manipulations.