Capnography: a guide for veterinary nurses

Abstract:

Capnography allows us to measure the amount of expired (end tidal) carbon dioxide (CO₂) and has become a vital monitoring tool when anaesthetising our veterinary patients. Knowledge and understanding of the information it provides is essential to the veterinary nurse (VN) anaesthetist. This article provides a brief history of this technology’s development, the information capnography provides us, the varying waveforms commonly seen and how its use is an important contributor to the safety and stability of the anaesthetised patient. The waveforms encountered on the monitoring screen are also included and a brief description of what they may be demonstrating.

Keywords: :

• Capnography
• mainstream
• sidestream
• ETCO₂
• inCO₂

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paula Bagshaw-Wright

Paula qualified in 2008 and achieved her Nurses Certificate in Anaesthesia and Critical Care in 2012. In September 2016 she completed the Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing and is currently studying for the Vets Now Emergency and Critical Care Certificate. She has worked for Woodcroft Veterinary Group in Cheshire for 15 years. She has a keen interest in surgery, anaesthesia and analgesia in the critical patient.