Premium
Should oxygen be administered after laparoscopy in healthy patients?
Author(s) -
Vegfors M.,
Cederholm I.,
Lennmarken C.,
Löfström J. B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1988.tb02743.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , pulse oximetry , oxygen , oxygen saturation , fentanyl , atropine , neostigmine , saturation (graph theory) , surgery , chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , combinatorics
This study aimed to assess the oxygen flow necessary to maintain satisfactory oxygen saturation when administered via a nasopharyngeal catheter. Oxygen saturation was displayed by a pulse oximeter and/or measured in arterial blood samples. Thirty–six healthy women scheduled for elective diagnostic laparoscopy were anaesthetized using thiopentone, fentanyl and O 2 /N 2 O. Atracurium was used as relaxant which was reversed with atropine and neostigmine. Arterial samples were obtained prior to anaesthesia, on arrival in the postoperative ward and 1 h postoperatively. Oxygen saturation was monitored postoperatively using a pulse oximeter. The patients were randomly divided into three groups which received either no oxygen, 2 1 O 2 /min or 4 1 O 2 /min. On arrival in the postoperative ward 15% of the patients were below the normal limit of O 2 saturation (94%). In patients receiving 2 1 or 4 1 O 2 , oxygen saturation was well above normal values. In patients receiving no oxygen, two had low oxygen saturation (92% and 93%). Comparing saturation values obtained in arterial samples with values measured with pulse oximetry gave r = 0.79. It is concluded that all patients should be given oxygen in the immediate postoperative period. Increasing oxygen flow from 2 to 4 1/min had no major effect on oxygen saturation. These results were obtained in healthy patients following minor abdominal surgery.