Prehospital end-tidal CO2 as an early marker for transfusion requirement in trauma patients.

Objective: Below normal end-tidal carbon dioxide measurement (ETCO2) is associated with worse outcomes in sepsis and trauma patients as compared to patients with normal ETCO2. We sought to determine if ETCO2 can be used in the prehospital setting to predict transfusion requirement, operative hemorrhage control, or mortality in the first 24 h after admission for trauma.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study at a suburban, academic Level 1 Trauma Center.