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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
08:25
Combining Volumetric Capnography And Barometric Plethysmography To Measure The Lung Structure-function Relationship
Published on: January 8, 2019
Volumetric capnography in the mechanically ventilated patient
L Blanch1, P V Romero, U Lucangelo
1Critical Care Center, Hospital of Sabadell, Corporació Parc Taulí, Universitary Institute, Parc Taulí Foundation, Indipendent University of Barcelona, Sabadell, Spain. lblanch@cspt.es
Minerva Anestesiologica
|May 10, 2006
Summary
Volumetric capnography analyzes expired carbon dioxide (CO2) and tidal volume to assess lung function. This method aids in detecting pulmonary embolism and predicting outcomes in critically ill patients with acute lung injury.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Physiology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonary Diagnostics
Background:
- Expiratory capnography offers insights into mechanical ventilation and expired CO2.
- Volumetric capnography measures CO2 and tidal volume, differentiating gas from three lung compartments.
- Lung heterogeneity and sequential emptying influence CO2 concentration and expiratory slopes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of volumetric capnography in assessing lung function.
- To investigate the role of volumetric capnography in diagnosing pulmonary embolism.
- To evaluate the prognostic value of dead space measurements in acute lung injury.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing volumetric capnography to measure expired CO2 and tidal volume.
- Analyzing CO2 elimination from apparatus dead space, alveoli, and alveolar gas.
- Calculating physiologic dead space and alveolar ejection volume.
Main Results:
- Volumetric capnography can identify increased alveolar dead space in pulmonary embolism due to V/Q mismatch.
- Alveolar dead space is elevated in acute lung injury; PEEP can decrease it via recruitment or increase it via overdistension.
- Physiologic dead space and alveolar ejection volume trends may predict outcomes in acute lung injury/ARDS.
Conclusions:
- Volumetric capnography is a valuable tool for bedside suspicion of pulmonary embolism.
- Dead space measurements provide insights into lung pathophysiology in acute lung injury and ARDS.
- Monitoring dead space during mechanical ventilation can inform prognosis in critically ill patients.
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