How the rise time of carbon dioxide analysers influences the accuracy of carbon dioxide measurements.

Carbon dioxide measurements are not accurate, especially in children, if the response time of the carbon dioxide analyser is too slow and its output fails to reach the actual carbon dioxide concentration at the end of the breath. The distortion of the carbon dioxide waveform is a function of the "rise time" of the analyser. We have simulated an expired carbon dioxide curve and calculated the rise time required to measure accurately end-tidal carbon dioxide and VCO2 in adults and children. A rise time of 80 ms (10-70%) is sufficient to measure end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration with 5% accuracy in patients with rates of ventilation less than 100 b.p.m. and I:E ratios less than 2:1. We have measured the rise time of 11 commercially available carbon dioxide analysers and found that only six of the 11 responded quickly enough to be accurate for rates up to 100 b.p.m. All 11 responded rapidly enough to measure end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration with 5% accuracy when ventilatory rates were less than 30 b.p.m. To measure VCO2 with 5% accuracy, an analyser should have a rise time of 20 ms. Only one analyser met this specification. An analyser's rise time can be estimated clinically to within 10 (SD 8) ms by a simple breath hold and forced exhalation, thus providing an estimate of the accuracy of carbon dioxide measurements in adults or children.