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Updated: May 10, 2026
07:15
Preoxygenation Techniques for Tracheal Intubation in Critically Ill Adults Utilizing Oxygen Mask and Noninvasive Ventilation
Published on: December 5, 2025
Current oxygenation practice in ventilated patients-an observational cohort study
R Panwar1, G Capellier, N Schmutz
1Department of Intensive Care, The Alfred hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. rakshitpanwar@hotmail.com
Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
|July 2, 2013
Summary
Current oxygen therapy in intensive care is liberal, often exceeding recommended targets for patients on mechanical ventilation (MV). This study suggests an interventional trial comparing this practice to conservative oxygen targets is feasible.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Oxygen therapy is crucial in critical care, but optimal use remains unevaluated.
- Understanding current oxygenation practices is vital for future interventional studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe current oxygenation practices in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV).
- To assess the feasibility of a future interventional study comparing liberal versus conservative oxygen targets.
Main Methods:
- Collected longitudinal arterial blood gas and oxygenation data from ICU charts for patients on MV for ≥48 hours.
- Analyzed 14,063 MV hours from 101 patients (trauma, medical, surgical) over the first seven MV days.
- Derived time-weighted averages (TWA) of oxygenation variables for 24-hour intervals.
Main Results:
- TWA-FiO2 was 0.42 and TWA-SpO2 was 97.1% during the first seven MV days.
- TWA-PaO2 exceeded 80 mmHg on 80% of MV days.
- Liberal oxygen use was observed, with PaO2 >80 mmHg and SpO2 >96% frequently achieved, even with high FiO2.
Conclusions:
- Current oxygen therapy in mechanically ventilated patients is characterized by liberal use.
- Significant variability in oxygenation targets was noted among patients, including those with severe acute lung injury.
- An interventional study comparing current liberal oxygenation to more conservative targets (PaO2 60-65 mmHg, SpO2 90-92%) is feasible.
Keywords:
acute lung injury (ALI)intensive caremechanical ventilationoxygen inhalation therapytime-weighted average (TWA)More Related Videos
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