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Current correction factors inadequately predict the relationship between transcutaneous (tc) and arterial PCO2 in
R J Martin1, A Beoglos, M J Miller
1Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Pediatrics, Cleveland, Ohio.
Abstract:
Despite widespread tcPCO2 monitoring the relationship between tcPCO2 and PaCO2 remains unclear. It has been assumed that after standard temperature correction, a constant metabolic factor can explain the elevation of tcPCO2 over PaCO2. Our data demonstrate a progressive increase in the difference between temperature corrected tcPCO2 and PaCO2 as PaCO2 increases. Thus a constant metabolic factor cannot account for the elevation of temperature corrected tcPCO2 over PaCO2. We speculate that as PaCO2 rises, CO2 production exceeds removal resulting in a progressive gradient between temperature corrected tcPCO2 and PaCO2.