The efficacy of high flow nasal oxygenation for maintaining maternal oxygenation during rapid sequence induction in pregnancy: A prospective randomised clinical trial

High-flow nasal oxygenation (HFNO) for pre-oxygenation in rapid sequence induction (RSI) has only been assessed in volunteer parturients without intubation.

To evaluate the efficacy of HFNO in comparison with the conventional facemask for oxygenation during RSI for caesarean section under general anaesthesia.

Operating room in a tertiary hospital.

Prospective randomised, controlled study.

Thirty-four healthy parturients undergoing general anaesthesia for caesarean section.

Parturients were randomly assigned to HFNO or standard facemask (SFM) group.

The primary outcome measure was the PaO2 immediately after intubation. Secondary outcomes included lowest saturation throughout the intubation procedure, end-tidal oxygen concentration (EtO2) on commencing ventilation, blood gas analysis (pH, PaCO2), fetal outcomes and intubation-related adverse events.

PaO2 in the HFNO group was significantly higher than that in SFM group (441.41 ± 46.73 mmHg versus 328.71 ± 72.80 mmHg, P < 0.0001). The EtO2 concentration in the HFNO group was higher than that in the SFM group (86.71 ± 4.12% versus 76.94 ± 7.74%, P < 0.0001). Compared to baseline, PaCO2 immediately after intubation also increased significantly in both groups (HFNO group: 30.87 ± 2.50 mmHg versus 38.28 ± 3.18 mmHg; SFM group: 29.82 ± 2.57 mmHg versus 38.05 ± 5.76 mmHg, P < 0.0001), but there was no difference in PaCO2 between the two groups. There was no difference in lowest saturation, intubation times, duration of apnoea, pH value or fetal outcomes.

Compared with SFM, HFNO provided a higher PaO2 and EtO2 immediately after intubation in parturients. HFNO is safe as a method of oxygenation during RSI in parturients undergoing general anaesthesia for caesarean section.

Clinical trial ChiCTR1900023121.