Capnography in Outpatient Anesthesia

Abstract

Abstract The concept of outpatient anesthesia first came up in the 1970s. Performing planned surgery of patients on the same day and then being discharged is called outpatient surgery, and the anesthesia applied in the same session is called outpatient anesthesia. Outpatient surgery is not performed for every patient. There are many factors that determine whether patient population scheduled for outpatient surgery is suitable for outpatient surgery. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) is the CO level released at the end of expiration. ETCO2 reflects the adequacy of ventilation and perfusion. ETCO2 measurement can be performed with many techniques. Infrared spectrography is the most common technique. It can be used in intubated and tracheostomized patients who are provided with respiratory support with a mechanical ventilator, as well as in patients who are not intubated and undergo sedoanalgesia, allowing the monitoring of respiration by measuring. The capnogram consists of two main components, inspiration and expiration, and these components point to four separate phases. It is known that drugs used in sedation and analgesia can often have negative effects on respiratory system. Therefore, patients’ oxygenation and hemodynamic status should be closely monitored. It can continuously monitor frequency and depth of patients’ breathing using a capnograph. An increase in amount of ETCO2 or a decrease in respiratory pattern is interpreted as respiratory depression. In addition to capnography, a parameter showing respiratory status, defined as "Integrated Pulmonary Index" (IPI), consisting of capnography, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, and mathematical analysis of heart rate, is also used in cases where outpatient sedation is applied.