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A prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing the efficacy of pre‐oxygenation in the 20° head‐up vs supine position *
Author(s) -
Lane S.,
Saunders D.,
Schofield A.,
Padmanabhan R.,
Hildreth A.,
Laws D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2005.04374.x
Subject(s) - medicine , supine position , anesthesia , oxygenation , oxygen saturation , head down tilt , apnea , general anaesthesia , prone position , blood pressure , oxygen , chemistry , organic chemistry
Summary We investigated whether positioning patients undergoing general anaesthesia for cholecystectomy in a 20° head‐up position, as opposed to supine, improved the efficacy of 3 min of standard pre‐oxygenation via a circle breathing system. Following pre‐oxygenation, patients received a standard induction of anaesthesia and the apnoea time (from administration of rocuronium to the arterial oxygen saturation to fall to 95%) was recorded. Mean (95% CI) apnoea time was 386 (343–429) s in the 20° head‐up position ( n = 17) vs 283 (243–322) s in the supine position ( n = 18; p = 0.002). Pre‐oxygenation is significantly more efficacious and by inference more efficient in the 20° head‐up position than in the supine position.