16 - End-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring in postoperative ventilator weaning

Summary

Monitoring PETCO2 serves as a useful adjunct in weaning postoperative patients from mechanical ventilation. Several laboratory techniques are commonly used as adjuncts to clinical assessment of the adequacy of ventilation. This chapter focuses on the procedures that are utilized for weaning patients from the ventilator. Successful weaning during the postoperative period requires the assurance that the patient is clinically stable and without clinically significant residual effects of the anesthetic agents utilized during surgery. Some clinicians utilize PETCO2 as a marker of the metabolic rate and, therefore, as a way of determining optimal ventilator settings during the weaning process. A variety of different devices are available to the practitioner caring for these patients. Data from PETCO2 monitoring should be used in conjunction with information derived from a clinical evaluation of the patient.