A prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing the efficacy of pre-oxygenation in the 20 degrees head-up vs supine position.
We investigated whether positioning patients undergoing general anaesthesia for cholecystectomy in a 20 degrees head-up position, as opposed to supine, improved the efficacy of 3 min of standard pre-oxygenation via a circle breathing system. Following pre-oxygenation, patients received a standard induction of anaesthesia and the apnoea time (from administration of rocuronium to the arterial oxygen saturation to fall to 95%) was recorded. Mean (95% CI) apnoea time was 386 (343-429) s in the 20 degrees head-up position (n = 17) vs 283 (243-322) s in the supine position (n = 18; p = 0.002). Pre-oxygenation is significantly more efficacious and by inference more efficient in the 20 degrees head-up position than in the supine position.
Lane
S
S
Intensive Care, St George's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Saunders
D
D
Schofield
A
A
Padmanabhan
R
R
Hildreth
A
A
Laws
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000764:Anesthesia, Closed-Circuit; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011187:Posture; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016683:Supine Position
D010100:Oxygen