Surfing the CO₂ Waves: How to Spot Shark Fin & The Leak on a Capnograph 🎧 Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast – Episode 10
Capnography isn’t just a bunch of squiggly lines — it’s your patient’s ventilation story, written in real time.
And in this episode, we’re zeroing in on two triangle-shaped waveforms that can trip you up if you don’t know what you’re looking at: The Shark Fin and The Leak.
You’ll learn:
🐟 The Shark Fin – What it means when your capnograph slopes up during exhalation (hint: it’s an outflow resistance problem), what causes it in vet patients, and exactly how to troubleshoot it before things get hairy.
🎈 The Leak – How to spot that right-sloping triangle that says gas is sneaking out where it shouldn’t, the most common culprits in practice, and the fast checks that can fix it before your patient’s ventilation or airway protection is compromised.
🧠 Memory hacks so you can instantly recognise which triangle you’re looking at, even under pressure.
🛠 Real-life scenarios from the treatment room so you can see these waveforms in action — from cats with deflating cuffs mid-dental, to Yorkies with airway collapse. Whether you’re new to anaesthesia monitoring or you’ve been staring at capnographs for years, this episode will make sure you never mix up these two lookalikes again — and that you know exactly what to do when you spot them.
📎 Resources & Extras:
- Visual waveform cheat sheet (Shark Fin vs. Leak)
- Quick-reference nurse action checklist for both waveforms
- Links to more capnography deep dives from trusted veterinary sources
💬 Have you spotted a Shark Fin or a Leak in one of your patients? Share your story and tag me — I love hearing how you’re putting these skills into action.
@vickythevetnurse
@vetnursehacker
