Using the capnograph to confirm lung isolation when using a bronchial blocker
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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Combining Volumetric Capnography And Barometric Plethysmography To Measure The Lung Structure-function Relationship
Published on: January 8, 2019
Marc D Fisicaro1, David P Maguire, Valerie E Armstead
1Department of Anesthesiology, Thomas Jefferson University/Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5092, USA.
Abstract:
The endotracheal tube and bronchial blocker combination is an accepted lung isolation technique used during thoracic surgery. A reliable and inexpensive method of confirming lung isolation that uses capnographic monitoring of the bronchial blocker central lumen is presented. As the bronchial blocker balloon is inflated, lung isolation is confirmed when the normal respiratory variation of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) is replaced by a persistent plateau CO(2) waveform.
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