Exploring intermittent transcutaneous CO2 monitoring.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the accuracy of a continuous transcutaneous CO2 (T(CCO2)) monitor, used in an intermittent rather than a continuous fashion, to obtain quick (<5 mins) CO2 readings.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
An urban pediatric intensive care unit in a university teaching hospital.


METHODS
A convenience sample of pediatric patients with indwelling arterial catheters.


METHODS
Transcutaneous monitoring was done simultaneous with arterial blood gas monitoring.


RESULTS
There were 49 simultaneous-readings on 19 patients, age 5 days to 16 years, with 13 different diagnoses. The T(CCO2) was related to the PCO2 by a Pearson product coefficient of 0.79 (p<.0005), with a mean difference of 1.94 (T(CCO2)>P(CO2) and 95% confidence interval of -0.12 to 4.07. The scatterplot produces a regression line characterized by the following equation: PCO2 = (T(CCO2)x1.05)-4.08.


CONCLUSIONS
Further study to evaluate intermittent TCCO2 as a practical clinical variable is warranted. This study should encourage refinement of the technology to be more accurate for this use.
Rauch
D A
DA
Department of Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Ewig
J
J
Benoit
P E
PE
Clark
E
E
Bijur
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000097:blood*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000379:methods; D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014505:Urban Population
D002245:Carbon Dioxide