Measuring pulmonary CO2 elimination--studies with the lung model using various mixed gases

Abstract

One way of determining pulmonary CO2 elimination during anaesthesia is the breath-by-breath method. With this technique, CO2 analysis is carried out using either the mainstream method (MSM), that is, directly in the expired air flow, or in samples of expired air. A disadvantage of MSM is the lack of sensor signal correction for changes in the composition of the gas mixture and barometric pressure. Sidestream systems (SSM) measure respiratory gas flow and gas concentration with adequate accuracy, and also correct the measured values for gas composition and ambient parameters. Disadvantages of breath-by-breath analysis are the SSM-system-related delay and distortion of the CO2 curves. In the present study, a computer-assisted comparative analysis of CO2 elimination measurement by the sidestream and mainstream methods was carried out using different mixtures of gases in a lung model. Under the selected conditions simulated in the lung model, evaluation of CO2 elimination using SSM and MSM is possible with an error of between 0 and 10% versus reference systems. Measuring accuracy of the MSM system in particular is found to depend directly on the composition of the gas mixture. Using the method described here, the measuring error of an SSM system in terms of delay and response time can be compensated with adequate accuracy.