Phase II of capnography having a shark-fin appearance suggests which condition?

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Multiple Choice

Phase II of capnography having a shark-fin appearance suggests which condition?

Capnography patterns reveal how smoothly air is leaving the lungs. Phase II is the rapid upstroke as CO2-rich gas from the alveoli mixes with dead-space gas. When there’s lower airway constriction, airway resistance slows and unevenly delays expiratory emptying, causing the upstroke to become more gradual and the plateau to blend into it. This creates the characteristic shark-fin shape, indicating obstructive or bronchospastic processes in the lower airways. Hyperventilation tends to lower CO2 with a more normal-shaped upstroke, cardiac arrest often shows little to no waveform, and pulmonary edema changes the pattern differently rather than producing a shark-fin.

Capnography patterns reveal how smoothly air is leaving the lungs. Phase II is the rapid upstroke as CO2-rich gas from the alveoli mixes with dead-space gas. When there’s lower airway constriction, airway resistance slows and unevenly delays expiratory emptying, causing the upstroke to become more gradual and the plateau to blend into it. This creates the characteristic shark-fin shape, indicating obstructive or bronchospastic processes in the lower airways. Hyperventilation tends to lower CO2 with a more normal-shaped upstroke, cardiac arrest often shows little to no waveform, and pulmonary edema changes the pattern differently rather than producing a shark-fin.

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