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

Abstract

Capnography (ETCO 2 ) is routinely used as a non-invasive estimate of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO 2 ) levels in order to modify ventilatory settings, whereby it is assumed that there is a positive gap between PaCO 2 and ETCO 2 of approximately 0.5 kPa. However, negative values (ETCO 2 > PaCO 2 ) 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 PaCO 2 to be the strongest predictor for a negative PaCO 2 -ETCO 2 difference. A decrease in PaCO 2 by 1 kPa resulted in a decrease in the PaCO 2 -ETCO 2 difference by 0.23 kPa. This study demonstrates that ETCO 2 monitoring in children whose lungs are mechanically ventilated may paradoxically lead to overestimation of ETCO 2 (ETCO 2 > PaCO 2 ) with a subsequent risk of unrecognised hypocarbia.