title: End tidal carbon dioxide is as reliable as transcutaneous monitoring in ventilated postsurgical neonates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the agreement, precision and repeatability of end tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2 ) and transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcCO2 ) with partial pressure of arterial CO(2) ( PaCO2) in postoperative neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty mechanically ventilated neonates without lung disease, and with no contraindications for either TcCO2 or EtCO2 monitoring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired TcCO2 and EtCO2 values were recorded with three consecutive measurements within the first 48 h of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  EtCO2, TcCO2 and PaCO2 triplets were compared using Bland-Altman plots.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred thirty-two triplet measures of CO(2) were recorded with mean PaCO2 43.5 (7.3) mm Hg, EtCO2 38.8 (6.4) mm Hg and 43.8 (8.8) mm Hg (p<0.0001 for EtCO2 against PaCO2; paired t test). The PaCO2 - EtCO2 bias±2SD was 4.1±9.0 mm Hg and -0.8±13.0 mm Hg for PaCO2 - TcCO2. 56.1% of EtCO2, and 60.6% of TcCO2 values were within ±5 mm Hg of paired PaCO2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In postoperative neonates, EtCO2 and TcCO2 demonstrated a clinically acceptable agreement with PaCO2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. david.tingay@rch.org.au
authors.forename: David Gerald
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Tingay
authors.forename: Kwok Sean
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mun
authors.forename: Elizabeth Jean
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Perkins
mesh_terms: D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous / Q000379:methods; D019296:Capnography / Q000379:methods; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013990:Tidal Volume
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide