Is EtCO2 a better choice than TcCO2?
Transcutaneous monitoring displays a reflection of an arterial CO2 (PCO2) which is a different physiological parameter than EtCO2. Most newborns and some neonates have a-ADCO2 (and so the EtCO2 and TcCO2 are the approximately the same). The TcCO2 does not provide airway vigilance, waveforms for ventilation assessment, or alarms alerting the clinician to apnea and disconnects. EtCO2 and TcCO2 can be used together as a tool to assess the widening or narrowing of a-ADCO2 in response to changes in patient care modalities. TcCO2 sensors can cause skin damage or burns to the patient and must be moved and adjusted frequently.
