What is the gold standard for ventilation monitoring?

The gold standard for ventilation monitoring is ETCO2, which stands for end-tidal carbon dioxide. This measurement reflects the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaled air at the end of expiration and provides critical information about a patient's ventilatory status.

Monitoring ETCO2 allows healthcare providers to assess the effectiveness of ventilation and can indicate issues such as hypoventilation, hyperventilation, and airway obstruction. A normal range for ETCO2 is typically between 35 to 45 mmHg, and deviations from this range can signal underlying respiratory or metabolic problems.

In emergency and transport situations, real-time monitoring of ETCO2 can prevent potential complications by promptly addressing changes in a patient’s respiratory status, whereas other measures, like SpO2, FiO2, and PaCO2, provide valuable but less direct information regarding ventilation. SpO2 is primarily a measurement of oxygen saturation, FiO2 indicates the fraction of inspired oxygen, and PaCO2 is a blood gas analysis result. While these are important parameters in patient care, ETCO2 is specifically tailored to assess the adequacy of ventilation, making it the preferred standard for this purpose.