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Commentary

Partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide predicts successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the field

Max Harry Weil1,2 email

Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine, 35100 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, USA

Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Avenue, KAM 317, Los Angeles, CA 90087 USA

author email corresponding author email

Critical Care 2008, 12:90doi:10.1186/cc7090

Published: 7 November 2008


See related research by Kolar et al., http://ccforum.com/content/12/5/R115

Abstract

Kolar and colleagues contribute an additional and important incentive for rescuers to utilize end-tidal carbon dioxide tensions as a routine monitor to guide management and decision-making during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They conclude that below-threshold levels of 14 mmHg (1.5 kPa) measured after 20 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation reliably predict that spontaneous circulation cannot be restored.


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