Capnography is the continuous monitoring and graphical representation of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in exhaled breath, specifically measuring end-tidal CO2 concentrations. This technique provides critical insights into a patient's ventilatory status, perfusion, and metabolic processes, particularly during emergency medical situations. Not to be confused with capnometry, which only measures CO2 levels without graphical output, capnography is essential for effective patient assessment within the framework of the Incident Command System (ICS). In EMS contexts, it is commonly framed alongside structured communication and triage concepts such as START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) or SALT (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, Treatment/Transport) as shared terminology.
Category context: Patient care, assessment, interventions, triage, and EMS system terms commonly used by firefighter/medics.