title: Postoperative hypoxaemia after major abdominal vascular surgery.
abstract: We have studied the severity and duration of nocturnal hypoxaemia before operation and for the first five nights after operation after elective major abdominal vascular surgery. Oxygen supplementation was almost 100% effective in keeping oxygen saturation greater than 90% during the early postoperative period; however, 50% of patients spent prolonged periods with an SpO2 less than 85% during at least one night after operation. The risk of severe hypoxaemia persists well beyond the current prescription of supplementary oxygen in these high risk patients. A significant association exists between the mean preoperative overnight saturation value and the nocturnal saturation observed subsequently in the later postoperative period.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Reeder
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foëx
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen