CO2 Sensing in Medicine

The measurement of biochemical parameters is primarily done in centralized laboratories, in intensive care units, and in the operating theatre with near‐patient point‐of‐care testing (POCT). The measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) in blood as a part of the so‐called blood gas panel. POCT is a patient‐centred diagnostic test that is not performed in a centralized laboratory, but in the hospital immediately near the operating room or intensive care or in the ambulance. CO2 is a gaseous waste product of metabolism and physiologically very tightly controlled. The CO2 balance is maintained by a carbonate buffer system in blood. Clinical blood gas analysis systems can be grouped into devices for single analysis of a discrete blood sample and continuous monitoring devices. The measurement of CO2 in human breath - called capnometry - is common practice in respiratory gas monitoring in intensive caremedicine, emergency medicine, and anaesthesiology.