Patients at Risk

Patient–Controlled Analgesia (PCA) is widely used for post–operative opioid administration, but is also associated with higher instances of potentially fatal respiratory depression. Detecting a patient’s declining respiratory status before progression to respiratory depression is essential. With opioid pain control therapy, all patients are at risk, not only those considered high risk. Capnography allows healthcare workers to protect even the patients that are not known to be at risk.

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Did you know…

• Since every patient responds differently to medication, all patients are at risk for respiratory distress and failure: even young, otherwise healthy patients
• Patients with sleep apnea are at even higher risk. However, 80% of cases of sleep apnea are undiagnosed (Girish P. Joshi, MD, American Society of Anesthesiologists, January 2006), so this vulnerable population may not be identified as at risk until it is too late
• Key findings of a medical research study (McCarter, MD, et al, American Health and Drug Benefits, June 2008) showed that capnography was more effective than pulse oximetry in providing early warning of respiratory depression

Leading patient safety organizations now recommend that all patients – not only those identified as higher risk – are monitored for depth of respiration with capnography. Capnography is the safest method to measure patient ventilation for patients under opioid pain management therapy.

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