Prevention of hypoxaemia during upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy by means of oxygen via nasal cannulae

Abstract

Hypoxaemia during oesophagogastroduodenoscopy is well documented and contributes to cardiac arrhythmias and occasional deaths from endoscopy. In 50 patients sedated with intravenous midazolam and examined with a large-diameter endoscope, oxygen desaturation was abolished by giving oxygen (2 litres/min) by way of nasal cannulae throughout the procedure.