[Oxygen saturation in endoscopic examinations of the upper gastrointestinal tract]

Oxygen saturation and pulse rate were continuously recorded using pulse oximetry in 169 consecutive upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (127 EGD and 42 ERCP). Oxygen saturation dropped to below 90% in 37 of 127 patients with EGD and 13 of 42 with ERCP. In EGD-patients with premedication (diazepam) the SaO2 was significantly lower than in patients without premedication. The lowest SaO2 is found in ERCP-patients with bile duct manipulations (EPT, stone extraction, endoprosthesis). Age, sex, patient's position, duration of the investigation and smoking had no effects. The rate of cardiovascular complications in the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is very low. The possibility of oximetry monitoring and eventually of nasal oxygen application should be given in elderly risk patients with cardiorespiratory diseases, especially in therapeutic procedures and premedication. In younger patients without cardiac diseases an oximetry monitoring is not necessary with or without premedication. The clinical evaluation of the single patient's risk factors should determine whether or not pulse oximetry or supplementary oxygen is useful.