Tutorial-style YouTube demonstration showing how to set up and interpret capnographic monitoring using a LifePak 15. Jeff Mehler (with Lt. Jacobs) demonstrates connecting the sensor (finger-tight plastic connector to the LifePak), using a 15–22 mm adapter on an endotracheal tube, and explains waveform anatomy: expiratory upstroke, alveolar plateau (where EtCO2 is measured), and inspiratory downstroke. The video also compares capnography to SpO2: EtCO2 provides real-time respiratory information (auto-scale 0–50 mmHg by default), while SpO2 is delayed; scenarios include hyperventilation (lower EtCO2, more box-shaped waveforms), hypoventilation/respiratory arrest (loss of waveform, apnea alarm), and printing differences between screen and strip output.
Questions this video answers
37 millimeters of mercury and 9 breaths per minute.
0 millimeters of mercury to 50 millimeters of mercury.
97%.
15 to 22 millimeter adapter.
42 millimeters of mercury.
Chapters
Hello, Jeff Mehler here with lieutenant Jacobs. Today we're going to discuss a little bit or talk a little bit about capnographic waveform monitoring. When we power up our LifePak 15.
Runs through its self test, our machine factory defaults at lead 2, lead 3 capnography. When we take our sensor and place it into the top portion here.
To begin to measure capnography.
Remember this is a plastic piece. We only need to put it in finger tight. If we over muscle it, we can break it. All we need to do is make contact with that metal sensor at the end of the piece to the metal sensor inside the machine. So all we need to do is finger tighten this. We don't need to really, really crank it down.
We would then take this 15 to 22 millimeter adapter and hook it to our endotracheal tube. And once the patient begins to start breathing.
And as we ventilated the patient, we would begin to see our capnographic waveform. This is the expiratory upslope. This is the alveolar plateau. Your capnometry number comes from this point and that's your inspiratory downstre. Currently Lieutenant Jacobs capnography is 37 millimeters of mercury and he's breathing it nine times a minute. On the side here is an auto scale. It's from 0 millimeters of mercury to 50 millimeters of mercury. When we turn our machine on, it automatically defaults to the auto scale.
Once again, expiratory upstroke, alveolar plateau. At the very end here is where you receive your cap capnometry. And then you have your inspiratory downstroke.
We can convert or change over to here. I'm going to change channel two.
To the SpO2 waveform.
Notice that the saturation is 97%. The signal quality, signal quality strength indicator is pulsating. If lieutenant Jacobs begins to hyperventilate.
You'Ll notice that there are more box shaped waveforms across your screen. This is indicative of a faster respiratory rate. You also notice that the capometry reading will decrease as he's blowing off carbon dioxide. If for some reason he were to slow his respiratory rate.
To a lower rate, you would see less box like waveforms on the screen. The height of the waveform is indicative of the amount of CO2 that it is detecting. It is not the same as a pulse oximetry waveform. The height of that waveform is indicative of blood pressure, the circulating pressure in the capillary beds. If for some reason he were to go into respiratory arrest.
You would notice that there are no box shaped waveforms. His O2 Sat is still 97%, but he's not breathing.
This is real time. Pulse oximetry is delayed.
CO2 is still 40, but there is no.
After a short period of time, it will set off an apnea alarm. And if lieutenant Jacobs begins to breathe again, it will clear that alarm.
Here comes your box like waveform. Expiratory, upstroke, alveolar plateau, inspiratory downstroke, end tidal CO2 where capometry is 42 millimeters of mercury. If we do a print.
On this, the.
Waveform.
That'S coming out.
The waveform that you see, the printed waveform compared to the waveform on the screen. There are more boxes on the screen because it is in a compressed format. The actual waveform that you see here is the one that's actually printed on the strip.
