Endotracheal tube placement confirmation: 100% sensitivity and specificity with sustained four-phase capnographic waveforms in a cadaveric experimental model
Waveform capnography is considered the gold standard for verification of proper endotracheal tube placement, but current guidelines caution that it is unreliable in low-perfusion states such as cardiac arrest. Recent case reports found that long-deceased cadavers can produce capnographic waveforms. The purpose of this study was to...
Capno 101: What is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by severe shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate, often accompanied by cough, fever, chest pain and bluish lips or fingernails caused by low O2 levels. ARDS can be triggered by direct injuries to the lung such as pneumonia, aspiration, smoke inhalation or blunt...
Capno 101: What is Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression?
Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression (OIRD), usually caused by opioid use or post-operative complications from anesthesia, occurs when the opioids desensitize the brain stem to rises in CO2, which can rapidly lead to full-blown respiratory failure. Given the growing number of 911 calls due to opioid abuse and subsequent respiratory...
Capno 101: What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by inflamed and narrowed airways. When the inflamed airways of asthma patients react strongly to certain inhaled substances, commonly referred to as an asthma attack, the outcome is a hyper-reactive airway that results in acute bronchospasm, reducing the flow of air into the lungs. Swelling...
Capno 101: What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure, aka congestive heart failure or CHF, is a condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs and chest, making it difficult for the lungs to inflate and the heart to pump.
Capno 101: What is Airway Management?
Capno 101: What is Airway Management? Airway management is a critical EMS skill. Simply put, a patient without an airway will not survive – but placement of an advanced airway device in critically ill and injured patients is a high-risk procedure, and a misplaced airway can cause permanent disability or death. The capnography...
