Comparison of end-tidal carbon dioxide and arterial blood bicarbonate levels in patients with metabolic acidosis referred to emergency medicine

Introduction: The routine and gold standard method to diagnose of acid – base disturbance is arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling. Capnography could be used to measure the end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) levels and ETco2 has a close correlation with the PaCo2. The aim of this study was comparison the ETco2 and arterial blood bicarbonate levels in patients with metabolic acidosis. Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study that performed in Emergency Department of Emam Reza Medical Research and Training Hospital of Tabriz on patients with metabolic acidosis, ETco2 level and blood bicarbonate levels in 262 patients were evaluated. Results: Mean of ETco2 and Hco3 levels in patients with metabolic acidosis were 22.29 ± 4.15 and 12.78 ± 3.83, respectively. In all patients, the significant direct linear relationship was found between ETco2 with Hco3 (r = 0.553, P < 0.001). We had 4 groups of patients with metabolic acidosis, also there is a significant direct linear relationship between the ETCo2 and the Hco3 level of arterial blood in patients with renal failure (P < 0.001 and r = 0.551), sepsis (P < 0.001 and r = 0.431), drug toxicity (P < 0.001 and r = 0.856), and ketoacidosis (DKA) (P < 0.001 and r = 0.559). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, capnography can be used for primary diagnosis of metabolic acidosis in spontaneously breathing patients who referred to the emergency wards, however, the ABG must be considered as the gold standard tool for diagnosis and guiding the treatment.

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