At‐home end‐tidal carbon dioxide measurement in children with invasive home mechanical ventilation

摘要

Abstract Background Carbon dioxide concentration trending is used in chronic management of children with invasive home mechanical ventilation (HMV) in clinical settings, but options for end‐tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) monitoring at home are limited. We hypothesized that a palm‐sized, portable endotracheal capnograph (PEC) that measures EtCO2 could be adapted for in‐home use in children with HMV. Methods We evaluated the internal consistency of the PEC by calculating an intraclass correlation coefficient of three?back‐to‐back breaths by children (0–17 years) at baseline health in the clinic. Pearson's correlation was calculated for PEC EtCO2 values with concurrent mean values of in‐clinic EtCO2 and transcutaneous CO2 (TCM) capnometers. The Bland–Altman test determined their level of agreement. Qualitative interviews and surveys assessed usability and acceptability by family‐caregivers at home. Results CO2 values were collected in awake children in varied activity levels and positions (N?=?30). The intraclass correlation coefficient for the PEC was 0.95 (p?