title: Should oxygen be administered after laparoscopy in healthy patients?
abstract: 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 O2/N2O. 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 l O2/min or 4 l O2/min. On arrival in the postoperative ward 15% of the patients were below the normal limit of O2 saturation (94%). In patients receiving 2 l or 4 l O2, 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 l/min had no major effect on oxygen saturation. These results were obtained in healthy patients following minor abdominal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vegfors
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cederholm
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lennmarken
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Löfström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009305:Nasopharynx; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D011184:Postoperative Period
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen