• Patricia Jabre, Line Jacob, Harold Auger, Christine Jaulin, Mélanie Monribot, Amandine Aurore, Alain Margenet, Jean Marty, and Xavier Combes.
• SAMU 94, Henri Mondor University Hospital (AP-HP), 94000 Créteil, France.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2009 Nov 1;27(9):1056-9.

ObjectiveThe objective was to assess agreement between end-tidal carbon dioxide values measured by a handheld capnometer (Petco(2)) and values measured by a blood gas analyzer (Paco(2)) in nonintubated patients with respiratory distress in an out-of-hospital setting.MethodsThis prospective study compared Petco(2) values obtained by an end-tidal capnometer (Microcap Plus; Oridion Capnography Inc, Needham, Mass) to Paco(2) values by the Bland and Altman statistical method.ResultsA total of 50 patients were included. Continuous Petco(2) monitoring was easily performed in all 50 patients during ambulance transport, but blood gas analysis failed in 1 patient. Agreement between the 2 methods was poor with a bias (mean difference) between Petco(2) and Paco(2) measurements of 12 mm Hg and a precision (SD of the difference) of 8 mm Hg. The gradient between Petco(2) and Paco(2) was greater than 5 and 10 mm Hg in 41 and 25 patients, respectively.ConclusionsPetco(2) measurements poorly reflected Paco(2) values in our population of nonintubated patients with respiratory distress of various origins.

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