The successful implementation of transcutaneous CO2 equipment at Hershey Medical Center’s Level IV NICU demonstrates that the technology has evolved to accommodate the diagnostic monitoring needs of neonatal care providers and patients, according to this case study by clinicians in the center’s NICU.

By Ann Donnelly MS, RRT-NPS, and Jennifer Erkinger MS, RRT-NPS, AE-C, C-NPT


Summary

Neonatal care providers have long understood the intrinsic advantages to monitoring carbon dioxide (CO2) transcutaneously; among other benefits, avoiding unnecessary blood draws can have significant implications for preterm infants with regard to pain and stimulation, infection potential, and even blood loss. Unfortunately, early transcutaneous monitoring (TCM) introduced in the early 1990s presented challenges including frequent calibration, difficult maintenance, and a high operating temperature that adversely affected skin integrity in these fragile patients. However, the experience with modern transcutaneous CO2 equipment (Sentec Digital Monitor, Sentec, Therwil, Switzerland) at Hershey Medical Center’s Level IV NICU demonstrates that the technology has evolved to accommodate the needs of neonatal care providers and patients; and that with the right education and implementation, transcutaneous monitoring can be an effective tool for ventilator management and reducing blood draws in the NICU.

 

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