title: Agreement of Mixed Venous Carbon Dioxide Tension (PvCO2) and Transcutaneous Carbon Dioxide (PtCO2) Measurements in Ventilated Infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noninvasive transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring has been shown to be accurate in infants and children, limited data are available to show the usefulness and limitations of partial transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension (PtCO2) value.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study prospectively determines the effectiveness and accuracy of PtCO2 measurements in newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Venous blood gas sampling and monitoring of the PtCO2 level (TCM TOSCA, Radiometer) were done simultaneously. All measurements are performed on mechanically ventilated infants. Partial venous carbon dioxide tension (PvCO2) values divided into three groups according to hypocapnia (Group 1: < 4.68 kPa), normocapnia (Group 2: 4.68-7.33 kPa), hypercapnia (Group 3: > 7.33 kPa) and then PvCO2 and PtCO2 data within each group were compared separately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 168 measurements of each PvCO2 and PtCO2 data were compared in three separated groups simultaneously (13 in Group 1, 118 in Group 2, and 37 in Group 3). A bias of more than ± 0.7 kPa was considered unacceptable. PtCO2 was related to PvCO2 with acceptable results between the two measurements in hypocapnia (mean difference 0.20 ± 0.19 kPa) and normocapnia (0.002 ± 0.30 kPa) groups. On the other hand in hypercapnia group PtCO2 values were statistically significant (P < 0.001) and lower than PvCO2 data (mean difference 0.81 ± 1.19 kPa).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PtCO2 measurements have generally good agreement with PvCO2 in hypocapnic and normocapnic intubated infants but there are some limitations especially with high level of CO2 tension. Monitoring of PtCO2 is generally a useful non-invasive indicator of PvCO2 in hypocapnic and normocapnic infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uslu
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bulbul
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dursun
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zubarioglu
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turkoglu
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Educational and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guran
keywords: Blood Gas Analysis; Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; Infant, Newborn