Laboratory animals
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Evaluation of a new side-stream, low dead space, end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring system in rats.
The aim of this study was to evaluate a newly developed infrared side-stream capnograph with minimal sample volume for the continuous measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in small rodents. Thirty-four male Wistar rats (weight 345 ± 70 g) were treated in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines for animal care. All experiments were performed with approval of the local animal care and use committee. ⋯ A total of 155 paired CO2 measurements comparing end-tidal and arterial partial pressure were conducted. Side-stream capnography underestimated the CO2 partial pressure with a bias of -6.1 mmHg and a 95% limit of agreement from 6.7 to -19.1 mmHg. Our results suggest that side-stream end-tidal CO2 monitoring with a low dead space could be utilized in rats as a surrogate for the arterial CO2 measurement over a wide range of partial pressures in normal and septic animals.