Introducing capnography monitoring into an endoscopy service

Abstract

A gap has been identified in terms of what the findings of evidence-based research recommend and what is done in clinical practice in endoscopy. Endoscopy patients undergoing sedation have their oxygen saturation, pulse and blood pressure monitored throughout the procedure. The American Society of Anaesthesiologists and the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain now recommend capnography monitoring as a standard for patients undergoing moderate to deep sedation in endoscopy. There is compelling evidence to suggest the introduction of capnography monitoring in the endoscopy unit, and using the combination of oximetry and capnography monitoring, significantly improves patient safety by enabling early recognition of respiratory depression. This article will discuss the theory behind capnography, and discuss the implementation of capnography monitoring into a nurse-led endoscopy unit.