End-Tidal CO2 Monitoring & Interpretation
Contact Hours: 1
Cost: $10.00
This course is designed for nurse clinicians that care for ventilated patients in the ICU, emergency medicine, or post-anesthesia care unit setting. End-tidal CO2 monitoring is a method of measuring a patient’s ventilation and can also give cues into cardiac status. Although end-tidal C02 monitoring has long been used in the operating room for ventilated patients, it is quickly becoming a highly used monitor in intensive care unit, post-anesthesia care unit, and other nursing areas (Bauman & Cosgrove, 2012). Another name for end-tidal monitoring is waveform capnography. This e-learning course will examine the science behind ETCO2 monitoring, the types of devices used to monitor ETCO2 and how ETCO2 can guide a nurse’s assessments and decision-making. Through gaining a fuller understanding of ETCO2 monitoring, nursing can enhance patient safety (Bauman & Cosgrove, 2012).
The purpose of this course is to educate nurses on the use of end-tidal CO2 monitoring, interpretation, and application in real-world healthcare settings.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
- Describe why ETCO2 monitoring is a reflection of ventilation and perfusion.
- Explain the types of monitors available to measure ETCO2.
- List the uses for ETCO2 monitoring in the ventilated patient.
- State the uses of ETCO2 monitoring in the spontaneously breathing patient.
- Discuss the capnogram and what it means in each phase.
Curriculum
Chapter 1: Outline and Introduction
- Overview of ETCO2 Monitoring
- The Science Behind ETCO2 Monitoring
Chapter 2: Types of Monitors
- Sidestream
- Mainstream
- Microstream
Chapter 3: Uses in the Ventilated Patient
- Endotracheal Tube Placement Verification
- Monitoring Endotracheal Tube Placement in Patient Transport
- Confirming CPR Effectiveness and ROSC
- Monitoring Intracranial Pressure in the Trauma Patient
Chapter 4: Uses in the Non-Ventilated Patient
- Assessing the Respiratory and Perfusion Status of Critically Ill Patients
- Use During Procedural Sedation
Chapter 5: Interpreting ETCO2 Waveforms
- Four Phases of a Capnogram
- Five-Step Waveform Interpretation
- Troubleshooting Tips and Capnography Limitations
Chapter 6: Conclusion
- Case Scenarios
- References