Pulse oximetry and Capnography

Essential tools for monitoring respiratory health, but they serve different purposes:

Pulse Oximetry: 

• Measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and pulse rate. 
• Normal SpO₂ is 95–100%. 
• It’s useful for tracking oxygenation but may delay detecting ventilation issues.

Capnography: 

• Monitors exhaled CO₂ (EtCO₂) and respiratory rate. 
• Normal EtCO₂ is 35–45 mmHg. 
• It detects ventilation problems faster and provides real-time updates.

While SpO2 monitors oxygenation (often delayed), EtCO2 measures metabolic

 perfusion and ventilation. 

Continuous capnography detects almost 6 times more potential respiratory events

 than SpO2 alone.

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