Transcutaneous PCO2 monitors are more accurate than end-tidal PCO2 monitors.

PURPOSE

The accuracy of monitors for measuring transcutaneous PCO2 (TcPCO2), end-tidal PCO2 (EtPCO2), and nasal EtPCO2 was evaluated.

METHODS

The measuring devices included a TcPCO2 monitor (TCM3; Radiometer Trading), an EtPCO2 monitor (Ultima; Datex-Ohmeda), and a nasal EtPCO2 monitor (TG-920P; Nihon Kohden). The sensor electrode of the TCM3 TcPCO2 monitor was applied to the skin of the subject's upper arm. A sampling tube attached to the proximal end of the tracheal tube was connected to the Ultima EtPCO2 monitor. The miniature sensor of the TG-920P nasal EtPCO2 monitor was attached to the nostril. The values obtained were compared with direct measurements of arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) obtained by means of an ABL700 blood gas analyzer (Radiometer Trading) in surgically treated patients. The means +/- 2 SD of the differences between variables were calculated.

RESULTS

The TcPCO2 monitor (0.19 +/- 4.8 mmHg, mean +/- 2-SD) was more accurate than the EtPCO2 monitor (-4.4 +/- 6.5 mmHg, mean +/- 2-SD) in patients receiving artificial ventilation via an endotracheal tube and the TcPCO2 monitor was also more accurate than the nasal EtPCO2 monitor (-6.3 +/- 9.8 mmHg, bias +/- 2-SD) in patients breathing spontaneously.

CONCLUSION

We found that the TcPCO2 monitor was more accurate than the EtPCO2 or nasal EtPCO2 monitor in surgically treated patients.