CAPNO study–Capnometry during neonatal transport
摘要
To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of capnometry in neonates undergoing inter-hospital transport.
Study designA prospective observational cohort study of ventilated neonates transported by the National Neonatal Transport Programme (Ireland). End-tidal CO2 (etCO2) was compared with blood gas pCO2 at the start and end of transport using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland–Altman analysis. Secondary outcomes included capnometry trends and the effects of lung disease and transport duration on capnometry values.
ResultsA total of 150 neonates were enrolled. ICC values were 0.61 (95% CI 0.50–0.70) pre-transport and 0.52 (95% CI 0.40–0.63) post-transport, indicating moderate agreement. On average, capnometry underestimated blood pCO2 by ~1 kPa (7.5 mmHg). Approximately 70% of patients showed concordant directional changes, though the magnitude varied between individuals.
ConclusionCapnometry may provide a useful non-invasive tool for monitoring CO2 trends during neonatal transport, despite underestimating blood pCO2 by ~1 kPa (7.5 mmHg).
KeynotesCapnometry is a non-invasive method that measures end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the expired gas. There has been limited data on the use of capnometry in neonates, particularly during neonatal transport, and the published studies report conflicting results. This study suggests that capnometry may be a useful tool to monitor CO2 and trends during neonatal transport.