Investigation of Dynamic ETCO2 Values With Side Stream in The Treatment of PTX: A Prospective Study

Objective: Pneumothorax (PTX) is the accumulation of air in the pleural space, and it poses significant concerns in emergency settings.End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ) monitoring is potentially significant in PTX management, particularly regarding treatment response.This study aimed to elucidate the role of ETCO 2 monitoring in patients undergoing PTX, particularly in assessing treatment response following tube thoracostomy. Materials and Methods:This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital's emergency department.It included 43 patients diagnosed with spontaneous or traumatic PTX.ETCO 2 levels were measured before and after tube thoracostomy, along with other clinical parameters.Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in ETCO 2 values before tube insertion and at 2 and 4 hours post-insertion(p<0.001).P-values were also less than 0.001 for all pairwise comparisons in the post hoc analysis.Changes in ETCO 2 levels post-treatment indicated the potential of this parameter for monitoring treatment efficacy.However, no significant difference was observed between spontaneous and traumatic PTX cases. Conclusion:ETCO 2 monitoring emerges as a promising tool in PTX management, providing insights into treatment response.Further research is warranted to optimize its integration into clinical practice to enhance PTX patient care.