title: Capnography in spontaneously breathing preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there is a gradient between end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)) and arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO(2)), and the slope of the ascending phase of the capnogram is decreased due to obstruction. Corresponding data are lacking in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare PCO(2) -EtCO(2) gradient and capnogram shape in two groups of spontaneously breathing preterm subjects: infants with BPD and infants without respiratory disease (controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  Capnography was performed at 36 weeks postmenstrual age in 20 infants (12 BPD with oxygen dependency, 8 controls). Respiratory rate and the components of the respiratory cycle were measured. The PCO(2) -EtCO(2) gradient was calculated using EtCO(2) values and simultaneously sampled capillary values (PcCO(2)). Capnograms were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In BPD subjects, respiratory rate was increased (60 ± 16 bpm vs 43 ± 16 bpm, P = 0.009); a widened PcCO(2) -EtCO(2) gradient was observed (13 ± 4 mmHg vs 0 ± 7 mmHg, P = 0.0013); the ascending phase of the capnogram was not decreased, whereas the initial inspiratory phase was prolonged (0.32 ± 0.05 vs 0.24 ± 0.04, P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with healthy infants, a higher PcCO(2) -EtCO(2) gradient was observed in infants with BPD, suggesting that ventilation-perfusion mismatch may be present in these infants. The capnogram did not exhibit the characteristic shape of airway obstruction.
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Cochin-Saint Vincent de Paul, Service de Médecine Néonatale de Port-Royal, Paris, France. emmanuel.lopez@cch.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Jihene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathlouthi
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lescure
authors.forename: Baruch
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Pierre-Henri
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Jarreau
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moriette
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019296:Capnography; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012119:Respiration; D056152:Respiratory Rate / Q000502:physiology