Case Studies Illustrating the Value of Capnography

Dr. Melissa Langhan (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, at Yale School of Medicine) – discusses the value of monitoring with capnography in these patient case studies.

Ensuring child safety during common medical procedures

Dr. Melissa Langhan (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, at Yale School of Medicine) - “Unfortunately, continuous capnography is not routinely used outside of the operating room. Capnography can really enhance patient safety, and healthcare professionals need to think about using it more often. As our study found, using capnography enhanced patient safety, by being able to detect declines in end tidal CO2 indicating hypoventilation which could lead to hypoxemia.”

Opioid-Induced Respiratory Compromise Can Be Prevented: In Honor of Amanda Abbiehl

Amanda Abbiehl Podcast Graphic

To honor the life of Amanda Abbiehl, Pat Iyer and the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety have re-released this podcast for the five-year anniversary of Amanda’s death. PCA pumps deliver medicine to patients that manages pain. This medicine can lead to respiratory compromise. Respiratory compromise is the second-most frequently occurring preventable patient safety issue and causes higher mortality rates, longer hospital and ICU stays, and millions of healthcare dollars every single year. It is the third most rapidly increasing hospital inpatient cost in the United States … and we can stop it. Approximately 14 million patients use PCA each year and an estimated 600,000 to 2 million adverse events and deaths per year could involve PCA.

For a transcript of the podcast, please see Amanda Abbiehl Podcast Transcript.