Capnography: What you Need to Know

Outline:

Section 1: Introduction

About This Course

Learning Objectives

Section 2: Presentation

Capnography Terminology

Ventilation-Perfusion Relationship

Knowledge Check

Background on Monitors

Techniques for Measuring CO2 

Mainstream vs Sidestream

Values in Capnometry

Knowledge Check

Normal Waveforms

Phases and What They Mean

Knowledge Check

Potential Causes of Abnormal Waveforms

Sudden Loss of Waveform

Decreasing ETCO2

CPR Assessment

Sudden Increase in ETCO2

Hyperventilation

Hypoventilation

Bronchospasm

Decrease in ETCO2

Knowledge Check

Where We Use Capnography

Equipment

Section 3: Conclusion

Course Contributor

Resources

References

Congratulations!

Dara has been a respiratory therapist for nearly two decades working neonatal to geriatrics and trauma. Her career has been vast at the college, university, hospital, and business levels. Dara has been a program director of respiratory care, a director of clinical education for respiratory care, has taught in the classroom, hospital, and business settings. Dara's master's degree is in health care administration, and she has used this degree in her role of respiratory care manager in a rural state hospital in Hawaii. Dara is licensed to practice respiratory care in three states including Hawaii, California, and Colorado. Dara also teaches and writes classes for the school of business, health care administration division for Columbia Southern University.

Disclosure: Dara Legacy, MS, RRT, CRT, RCP has declared that no conflict of interest, Relevant Financial Relationship or Relevant Non-Financial Relationship exists.

Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN, has extensive experience across a wide spectrum of healthcare settings including: rural and urban acute care hospitals, public health, ambulatory surgery, higher education, and commercial healthcare learning organizations. Her roles have included: medical/surgical, ED, and OR staff and charge nurse; Director of School Health Services/school nurse; Public Health Epidemiology and Bioterrorism Preparedness Specialist; Infection control practitioner; Quality Management Specialist; Organizational Development Specialist; and Educator. Prior to joining Relias as a SME writer, she provided healthcare learning and development consultation to Swank Healthcare and was the Director of Education Services for Health.edu, a division of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Rebecca earned a diploma in nursing from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Lubbock, Texas and an MBA from Wayland Baptist University.  Disclosure: Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN has declared that no conflict of interest, Relevant Financial Relationship or Relevant Non-Financial Relationship exists.