Nasopharyngeal oxygen in adult intensive care: Lower flows and increased comfort

• Published in: Anaesthesia and intensive care Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 670 - 671
• Main Authors: EASTWOOD, G. M, REEVES, J. H, COWIE, B. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Edgecliff Anaesthesia and Intensive Care 01.10.2004; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Gas Analysis; Critical Care; Cross-Over Studies; Female; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Laryngeal Masks; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nasopharynx; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy - methods; Probability; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Treatment Outcome; Anesthesia; Oxygen; Intensive care; INTENSIVE CARE: oxygen; nasopharyngeal; Comfort
• ISSN: 0310-057X; 1448-0271
• DOI: 10.1177/0310057X0403200511

Nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy, the delivery of supplementary oxygen into the nasopharynx via a fine catheter placed through the nose, is a simple technique used in postoperative anaesthetic care units and paediatric intensive care, but never described in the setting of adult intensive care. In a prospective crossover design, we compared nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy with semi-rigid plastic mask (Hudson Mask) in 50 unintubated adult patients receiving supplemental oxygen. We measured oxygen flow rate to achieve cutaneous saturations 93 to 96%, and patient comfort by visual analogue score. Nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy consumed significantly less oxygen than mask administration (3.0+/-0.9 vs 6.7+/-2.1 l/min, P<0.001) and was associated with significantly higher comfort than the mask (7.5+/-1.6 cm vs 5.2+/-1.8, P<0.001).