Arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide difference in children undergoing mechanical ventilation of the lungs during general anaesthesia.

Abstract

Capnography (ETCO₂ ) is routinely used as a non-invasive estimate of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO₂ ) levels in order to modify ventilatory settings, whereby it is assumed that there is a positive gap between PaCO₂ and ETCO₂ of approximately 0.5 kPa. However, negative values (ETCO₂ > PaCO₂ ) can be observed. We retrospectively analysed arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide differences in 799 children undergoing general anaesthesia with mechanical ventilation of the lungs in order to elucidate predictors for a negative gap. A total of 2452 blood gas analysis readings with complete vital sign monitoring, anaesthesia gas analysis and spirometry data were analysed. Mean arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide difference was -0.18 kPa (limits of 95% agreement -1.10 to 0.74) and 71.2% of samples demonstrated negative values. The intercept model revealed PaCO₂ to be the strongest predictor for a negative PaCO₂ -ETCO₂ difference. A decrease in PaCO₂ by 1 kPa resulted in a decrease in the PaCO₂ -ETCO₂ difference by 0.23 kPa. This study demonstrates that ETCO₂ monitoring in children whose lungs are mechanically ventilated may paradoxically lead to overestimation of ETCO₂ (ETCO₂ > PaCO₂ ) with a subsequent risk of unrecognised hypocarbia.