A patient ventilation system includes a ventilator configured to deliver ventilation gas to patient, a CO2 concentration sensor configured to provide EtCO2 measurements for the patient, and an SpO2 monitor configured to determine an SpO2 value for the patient. A ventilation control module is executable on a processor and configured to compare the SpO2 value to a threshold SpO2 and determine from this comparison that the SpO2 value indicates inadequate oxygenation. A minimum ventilation amount is then set, and the ventilator is then controlled based on the EtCO2 measurements and the minimum ventilation amount so as to deliver at the least the minimum ventilation amount to the patient while the SpO2 value indicates inadequate oxygenation.
