Capnometer is a medical instrument is used for measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in an expired breath of people. These are used in various settings, ranging from field to the operating rooms. These are stored by most medical equipment and also supply companies. Models developed for certain applications, like anesthesia can have special features that are developed to make these machines easier and also efficient for usage.
When healthy people exhale, the air expelled from lungs carry carbon dioxide as a result of exchange of gas in the lungs, with carbon dioxide as the waste product of the internal metabolism. Certain situations may interfere with gas exchange in lungs, alters gas composition and makes harder for eliminating carbon dioxide from the body in people.
Capnometer is one of the devices for monitoring the patient during surgical procedure. Changes in the levels of exhaled carbon dioxide during surgery may indicate some problem with anesthesia or indicates some surgical complications. By tracking the carbon dioxide levels that a patient exhales over time or with volume of each breath. Anesthesiologist stays alert to identify the symptoms of the complication.
Capnometry is used in intensive care units, when patients are stable, but still in serious condition. This device indicates change in carbon dioxide levels, alerts the caregivers to the change in patient’s condition and to potential for the problem with lungs. This capnometer may be programmed for transmitting to the remote location that can be checked by the nurses at the nursing station. This device may also be wired to the remote location that signals when the levels reach the dangerous point.
Capnometer can be used in aspiration studies too. People suffering from respiratory problems like chronic pulmonary obstruction disorder (COPD), emphysema, asthma, etc. are recommended to undergo breathing study such that the health care provider may collect the important information regarding the lung functioning of the patient. This information may be used for monitoring the condition of patient, gather data about success of the treatment and also to establish the baseline that interferes during the treatment and assessments in future.
