Volumetric and End-Tidal Capnography for the Detection of Cardiac Output Changes in Mechanically Ventilated Patients...

Exhaled carbon dioxide (CO₂) reflects cardiac output (CO) provided stable ventilation and metabolism. Detecting CO changes may help distinguish hypovolemia or cardiac dysfunction from other causes of haemodynamic instability. We investigated whether CO₂ measured as end-tidal concentration (EtCO₂) and eliminated volume per breath (VtCO₂) reflect sudden changes in cardiac output (CO).

We measured changes in CO, VtCO₂, and EtCO₂ during right ventricular pacing and passive leg raise in 33 ventilated patients after open heart surgery. CO was measured with oesophageal Doppler.

During right ventricular pacing, CO was reduced by 21% (CI 18-24; p < 0.001), VtCO₂ by 11% (CI 7.9-13; p < 0.001), and EtCO₂ by 4.9% (CI 3.6-6.1; p < 0.001). During passive leg raise, CO increased by 21% (CI 17-24; p < 0.001), VtCO₂ by 10% (CI 7.8-12; p < 0.001), and EtCO₂ by 4.2% (CI 3.2-5.1; p < 0.001). Changes in VtCO₂ were significantly larger than changes in EtCO₂ (ventricular pacing: 11% vs. 4.9% (p < 0.001); passive leg raise: 10% vs. 4.2% (p < 0.001)). Relative changes in CO correlated with changes in VtCO₂ (ρ=0.53; p=0.002) and EtCO₂ (ρ=0.47; p=0.006) only during reductions in CO. When dichotomising CO changes at 15%, only EtCO₂ detected a CO change as judged by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

VtCO₂ and EtCO₂ reflected reductions in cardiac output, although correlations were modest. The changes in VtCO₂ were larger than the changes in EtCO₂, but only EtCO₂ detected CO reduction as judged by receiver operating characteristic curves. The predictive ability of EtCO₂ in this setting was fair. This trial is registered with NCT02070861.