Capnography monitoring is primarily used to assess which of the following?

• A. Ventilation status and CO2 elimination
• B. Blood oxygen saturation alone
• C. Heart rhythm pattern
• D. Lung volumes alone

Answer: (A)

Capnography provides real-time information about ventilation by measuring CO2 in exhaled gas, specifically the end-tidal CO2 that reflects how effectively CO2 is being eliminated by the lungs. This tells you about the adequacy of alveolar ventilation and the patient’s ability to remove CO2, which is crucial for detecting apnea, hypoventilation, airway obstruction, or disconnections.

Oxygen saturation, heart rhythm, and lung volumes are assessed by other tools—pulse oximetry for oxygenation, ECG for heart rhythm, and spirometry for lung volumes. Because capnography directly tracks ventilation status and CO2 elimination, it is best described as assessing ventilation and CO2 removal.