The revised digital transcutaneous PCO2/SpO2 ear sensor is a reliable noninvasive monitoring tool in patients after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to validate the revised SenTec V-Sign 2 sensor (SenTec AG, Therwil, Switzerland) for combined noninvasive continuous assessment of pulse rate, pulse oximetry (SpO(2)), and transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension (PtcCO(2)) in adults after cardiac surgery.
DESIGN: A prospective clinical study.
SETTING: A single-center university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty adult patients aged 36 to 84 years after cardiac surgery.
INTERVENTIONS: SpO(2) and PtcCO(2) values of three V-Sign 2 sensors (SenTec AG) attached at the earlobe, forehead, and cheek and SpO(2) values of the Nellcor Durasensor (Model DS-100A; Nellcor Puritan Bennett Inc, Pleasanton, CA) were compared with simultaneous measurements of blood gases and end-expiratory carbon dioxide.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Measurements were performed during periods of hyper-, normo-, and hypocapnia and then at 30-minute intervals up to 5 hours. Bland-Altman analysis and simple regression analysis were used. RESULTS: The detection failures for PtcCO(2) were 0.3% to 1.3%, for SpO(2) 10% to 25%, and for pulse rate 5% to 10%. The V-Sign 2 earlobe sensor provided the best results. The mean bias and limits of agreement for PtcCO(2ear) and PaCO(2) were 1.1 and -3.4/+5.5 mmHg. The drift of PtcCO(2) was negligible at all locations. The mean bias and limits of agreement of V-Sign SpO(2ear) and SaO(2), as well as V-Sign pulse rate and the electrocardiogram, were -1.7% and -6.8/+3.9% and 1.2 beats/min and -3.3/+5.8 beats/min. End-expiratory carbon dioxide showed a weak correlation with PaCO(2) (r(2) = 0.47).
CONCLUSIONS: Transcutaneous capnometry using the revised V-Sign 2 sensor at the earlobe is a reliable monitoring tool during the recovery period of patients after cardiac surgery. This approach has the potential to reduce the number of arterial blood gas samples.