Capnography is used during airway management to verify:

• A. Capnography provides real-time confirmation of endotracheal tube placement and ventilation adequacy.
• B. It measures heart rate.
• C. It measures blood pressure.
• D. It measures oxygen saturation.

Answer: (B)

Capnography measures the amount of carbon dioxide in exhaled air in real time, producing a capnogram that shows end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) and a ventilation waveform. This is how you verify airway management: a proper endotracheal tube in the trachea will generate a CO2 waveform and a detectable ETCO2, confirming ventilation. If the tube is in the esophagus, little or no CO2 appears and the waveform is flat, signaling a misplacement that needs immediate correction. Beyond placement, the capnogram and ETCO2 trend tell you about ventilation adequacy over time and can reveal issues like disconnections, obstruction, or significant changes in circulation. Capnography does not measure heart rate, blood pressure, or oxygen saturation—those are monitored with other devices.