Bedside monitoring of respiratory function

The primary focus of any monitoring technique is to alert the practitioner to change. Assessment, evaluation, and analysis of the data provide the basis for clinical decision-making. Monitoring spontaneous ventilatory parameters offers an overall assessment of the effectiveness of maintaining pulmonary gas exchange. Blood gas analysis provides the cornerstone for evaluating cardiopulmonary status and is an essential tool. The evaluation of dead space and shunt provides a foundation for differentiation between ventilation and perfusion mismatching. Collectively, these assessments focus on the stability of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Although modern technology is continually producing increasingly sophisticated methods of respiratory function monitoring, experienced observation by the clinician is still the key to successful assessment.