Download – Respiratory Gas Analysis

Monitoring of respiratory gases is considered by most to be highly important for the conduct of safe anaesthesia. Monitoring of inspired oxygen levels ensures against delivery of hypoxic gas mixtures to the patient and is useful for titration of oxygen flow where oxygen supplies are limited. Capnography tells an anaesthetist a great deal about the clinical status of the patient, both in terms of their respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It also lowers the threshold for suspicion for rare but potential fatal pathologies such as malignant hyperpyrexia. It many settings agent monitoring is not available, but its value in detecting and avoiding harmful overdose of anaesthetic agents or awareness due to insufficient levels, mean that, ideally, it should be incorporated into all anaesthetist’s practice.

Grant McFadyen
Correspondence Email: Bruce.McCormick@rdeft.nhs.uk