title: A comparison of different pre-oxygenation techniques in the elderly.
abstract: The efficacy of five different techniques of pre-oxygenation before a modified rapid intubation sequence was assessed, using oxygen saturation measurement, in patients aged over 65 years. Twenty patients in each group were pre-oxygenated using four deep breaths or normal tidal breathing for 1, 2, 3, or 4 minutes. The acceptable period of apnoea was defined as the time taken to desaturate to 93%. The mean times (SD) taken to reach this end-point were 3.7 (1.6), 4.1 (1.2), 5.4 (1.7), 5.4 (1.4) and 5.2 (1.7) minutes respectively. The apnoea times with 2, 3 and 4 minutes pre-oxygenation were not significantly different from each other but were significantly longer than after four deep breaths and 1 minute. It is concluded that a pre-oxygenation period of at least 2 minutes should be employed in the elderly before a rapid sequence induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, Queen's University of Belfast.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Mirakhur
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McLoughlin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000379:methods*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen