In emergently ventilated trauma patients, low end-tidal CO2and low cardiac output are associated and correlate with hemodynamic instability, hemorrhage, abnormal pupils, and death

Abstract

During emergency department resuscitation, a decline in PetCO2 correlates with decreases in noninvasive CO in emergently intubated trauma patients. Decreasing PetCO2 and declining NICOM CO are associated with hemodynamic instability, hemorrhage, abnormal pupils, and death. The study indicates that NICOM CO values are clinically discriminate and have physiologic validity.