Replacement of physiologically autoinhaled nitric oxide in intubated patients

Autoinhaled nitric oxide (NO) is produced mainly in the upper airways. Orotracheal intubation disrupts the natural autoinhalation of NO from the naso- and oropharynx. The effect of disrupting and then replacing autoinhaled NO on arterial oxygenation was investigated in intubated patients. Two groups of nine patients without lung disease were examined during anaesthesia using an inspired oxygen fraction of 0.50. In both groups, the individually produced NO of the whole respiratory tract and the upper airways was determined. The amount of NO normally autoinhaled from the upper airways was replaced for 5 min after orotracheal intubation in one group. The amount of NO from the upper respiratory tract was 47+/-19 parts per billion (ppb) in the test group and the replaced NO concentration was 48+/-20 ppb. No significant increase in arterial oxygen tension could be detected during the replacement of the autoinhaled NO. Haemodynamic parameters remained unchanged. In the control group, the NO from the upper airways was 34+/-16 ppb. In contrast to the test group, it was not replaced after intubation. These findings suggest that in healthy subjects the autoinhalation of nitric oxide does not play an important role in arterial oxygenation during anaesthesia.