Abstract
Background
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airway, acute exacerbations of COPD can lead to progressive respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation. Weaning of these patients may prove difficult and a spontaneous breath trial should be provided before the decision of extubation.
Aim
To evaluate the role of capnograghy in COPD patients during weaning from mechanical ventilation.
Subject and methods
This was a cross sectional prospective study conducted on 50 patients who were admitted at the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit of Abbassia Chest hospital and diagnosed as COPD and on mechanical ventilation. During the weaning trial, the role of capnography device evaluated considering the ability of Pet CO2 parameter in predicting hypercapnia and subsequently weaning outcome
Results
The changes in ABG reading before and after the SBT, PaCO2 and Pet CO2 showed significant elevation at the end of SBT,P=0.001 for both, while O2 saturation was significantly decrease at the end of SBT, P0.001.
Conclusion
The study found that Pa CO2 and PetCO2 are correlated to each other before, during and after SBT. Most of the studies that was found reported that PetCO2 is highly correlated with Paco2 and that PetCO2 may be a rapid and reliable predictor of arterial PaCO2 in respiratory distress.
Lights and shadows of non-invasive mechanical ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations
