Transcutaneous carbon dioxide measurements in fruits, vegetables and humans: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND Transcutaneous carbon dioxide measurement (TcCO2) is frequently used as a surrogate for arterial blood gas sampling in adults and children with critical illness. Data from noninvasive TcCO2 monitoring assists with clinical decisions regarding mechanical ventilation settings, estimation of metabolic consumption and determination of adequate end-organ tissue perfusion. OBJECTIVES To report TcCO2 values obtained from various fruits, vegetables and elite critical care medicine specialists. DESIGN Prospective, observational, nonblinded cohort study. SETTINGS Single-centre, tertiary paediatric referral centre and organic farmers’ market. PARTICIPANTS Vegetables and fruits included 10 samples of each of the following: red delicious apple (Malus domestica), manzano banana (Musa sapientum), key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), miniature sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and avocado (Persea americana). Ten human controls were studied including a paediatric intensivist, a paediatric inpatient hospital physician, four paediatric resident physicians and four paediatric critical care nurses. INTERVENTIONS None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES TcCO2 values for each species and device response times. RESULTS TcCO2 readings were measurable in all study species except the sweet potato. Mean ± SD values of TcCO2 for human controls [4.34 ± 0.37 kPa (32.6 ± 2.8 mmHg)] were greater than apples [3.09 ± 0.19 kPa (23.2â...
Source: European Journal of Anaesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Original articles - Christmas issue Source Type: research