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Pulse Oximetry VS Capnography? What’s your choice?

When it comes to monitoring a patient receiving sedation, there is no doubt that the most important monitoring is the professional, able to look at the patient and the other devices, able to interpret data, make clinical decision and act on them.

And when it comes to using devices and gadgets to help us with those decisions, we have historically been relying on pulse oximetry to alert us to respiratory compromise. But is there something else that might be better?

Actually capnography is a very good option. It is the only device that gives us indication of how the patient is doing when it comes to Airway, Breathing and Circulation! No other device can give us this amount of information. Capnography is a crucial part of the Safe Sedation Course. If you want to learn more, get in touch here.

In the video below, one of our consultants is being monitored with Pulse Oximetry and Capnography. Watch the video and notice how he stops breathing and pulse oximetry is still at 99%! However, capnography alerted straight away that there was respiratory compromise.

Learn about monitoring and all the other important aspects at the Safe Sedation Course.