Capnography for Monitoring End-Tidal CO2 in Hospital and Pre-hospital Settings: A Health Technology Assessment

Abstract

Anesthesiologists have been using capnography for decades to monitor end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) in patients receiving general anesthesia. ETCO2 monitoring using capnography devices has application across several hospital and pre-hospital settings, including monitoring the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), continuous monitoring of patients in the emergency room or intensive care unit (ICU), during ambulatory transport, to confirm the correct placement of an endotracheal tube (ETT), and monitoring post-operative patients with a history of sleep apnea or who have received high doses of opioids. Depending on the clinical area, the technology is at various stages of adoption.The growing utility of ETCO2-monitoring technology in diverse clinical settings, the uncertainty regarding the clinical and cost-effectiveness of capnography devices, and access and implementation issues were the main drivers for this health technology assessment (HTA).