Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Expired CO2 Measurement in Intubated or Spontaneously Breathing Patients from the Emergency Department
Published on: January 29, 2011
Refractory hypercapnia: a simplified technique for extracorporeal CO2 removal (ECCO2R) in the presence of therapeutic
M Bonnet1, X Wittebole, L M Jacquet
1Department of Intensive Care, Cliniques St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Refractory hypercapnia with severe acidosis appeared in a 67-year-old man who presented with lung fibrosis and a left pneumothorax as delayed complications of bleomycin chemotherapy for advanced grade lymphoma. Due to failure of noninvasive ventilation using a high-flow nasal cannula oxygen system, the patient was mechanically ventilated with two ventilators at different settings, after intubation with a double-lumen tube. As he had a poor haematological prognosis, extracorporeal membranous oxygenation was not considered. To remove some amount of carbon dioxide, we used a simplified method based on a veno-venous hemofiltration circuit coupled to a paediatric oxygenator and an air/oxygen blender. The efficacy on carbon dioxide removal was modest, with a percentage of CO2 total extraction ranging from 10.5 to 20.4%, but the system was immediately available, well tolerated and not very expensive.
Related Concept Videos
Assessment of Diffusion and Perfusion
The Role of Diffusion in Respiration
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In the respiratory system, this principle...
Acute Respiratory Failure-III
Acute Respiratory Failure-I
Definition: It is defined by specific criteria based on blood gas measurements. Hypoxemia happens when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) falls below 60 mmHg. At the same time,...
Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis
Physiological Control of Respiration
Breathing, a seemingly passive process, is regulated by the respiratory center in the brainstem. This center coordinates the involuntary control of respirations, which means it occurs without conscious effort, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted pattern.
Regulation of Ventilation
The body maintains ventilation by monitoring levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), and hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in the arterial blood. Among these factors, the level of CO2 plays a crucial...

