Use of Capnography to Optimize Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Department Pediatric Population

Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice
- Waveform capnography is a continuous measurement and graphical display of the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels throughout inspiration and expiration. It varies in accordance with a patient's respiratory rate and tidal volume. During pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA), waveform capnography can indicate abnormal ventilation before it can be detected through physical assessment of ventilation or by pulse oximetry.
- The weight of a few small, single-center, randomized controlled trials and observational studies suggest a benefit to the use of this technology. However, additional and larger studies are needed to elucidate a more substantial basis to inform best nursing practice.
- Emergency nurses should be engaged in assessing all appropriate sources of data to determine whether use of capnography during PSA improves patient outcomes.