title: The effect on arterial blood gases and heart rate of bilateral nasal packing.
abstract: In order to elucidate the blood gas and heart rate changes caused by bilateral nasal packing, 21 healthy subjects who had had septoplasty or septorhinoplasty were investigated with pre- and post-operative blood gas measurements and 24-h Holter monitoring. Nasal packing caused a significant decrease in O2 saturation (P < 0.05), a borderline decrease in PO2 (P = 0.09), insignificant changes in PCO2, pH and HCO3 (P > 0.05), a significant increase in minimum and mean heart rates (P < 0.05) and insignificant changes in maximum heart rates; however, further research is necessary to elucidate the direct cause-and-effect relationship. No serious arrhythmias were observed. Although these changes may be within normal levels for healthy subjects, they may have serious consequences for patients with cardiopulmonary diseases.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Bahçelievler Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogretmenoglu
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Keikavos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksöyek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D009779:Occlusive Dressings / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen