Routine pre-oxygenation using a Hudson mask. A comparison with a conventional pre-oxygenation technique.
Two techniques of pre-oxygenation were studied by continuous analysis of respired gases using a mass spectrometer in 10 healthy volunteers. The first was a conventional technique as commonly used in anaesthesia with a Bain system and tightly-fitting anaesthetic face-mask and an oxygen flow of 8 l.min-1. The second technique also used a Bain system with an oxygen flow of 8 l.min-1, but with a Hudson mask attached. The mean fractional end-tidal oxygen concentrations after 3 min were 0.812 and 0.46 respectively for each of the pre-oxygenation techniques against 0.16 for subjects breathing air. This represents a considerable increase in pulmonary oxygen reserve for both techniques. The second technique is not an alternative to conventional pre-oxygenation for emergency anaesthesia, but is a useful and simple method that is acceptable to both patient and anaesthetist in routine cases.
Hett
D A
DA
Department of Anaesthesia, Southampton General Hospital.
Geraghty
I F
IF
Radford
R
R
House
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication / Q000295:instrumentation*
D010100:Oxygen