Background: Obesity is a risk factor for airway-related incidents during anaesthesia. High-flow nasal oxygen has been advocated to improve safety in high-risk groups, but its effectiveness in the obese population is uncertain. This study compared the effect of high-flow nasal oxygen and low-flow facemask oxygen delivery on duration of apnoea in morbidly obese patients. Methods: Morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were randomly allocated to receive either high-flow nasal (70 L min À1 ) or facemask (15 L min À1 ) oxygen. After induction of anaesthesia, the patients were apnoeic for 18 min or until peripheral oxygen saturation decreased to 92%. Results: Eighty patients were studied (41 High-Flow Nasal Oxygen, 39 Facemask). The median apnoea time was 18 min in both the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (IQR 18e18 min) and the Facemask (inter-quartile range [IQR], 4.1e18 min) groups. Five patients in the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen group and 14 patients in the Facemask group desaturated to 92% within 18 min. The risk of desaturation was significantly lower in the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen group (hazard ratio¼0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11e0.65; P¼0.007). Conclusions: In experienced hands, apnoeic oxygenation is possible in morbidly obese patients, and oxygen desaturation did not occur for 18 min in the majority of patients, whether oxygen delivery was high-flow nasal or low-flow facemask. High-flow nasal oxygen may reduce desaturation risk compared with facemask oxygen. Desaturation risk is a more clinically relevant outcome than duration of apnoea. Individual physiological factors are likely to be the primary determinant of risk rather than method of oxygen delivery. Clinical trial registration: NCT03428256.

Peri-implant fractures of the wrist are uncommon, and usually present as stress fractures distal to the site of the implant. We report an unusual case where the radius has fractured beneath a plate, causing bending and deformity of the implant. This prevented reduction of the fracture under sedation, so urgent intervention became necessary due to neurovascular compromise.

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This chext x-ray (CXR) shows a large right sided pneumothorax with a degree mediastinal shift suggesting tensioning (The CXR you should never see!). Furthermore, features of pneumomediastinum are present including the continuous diaphragm sign, and subcutaneous emphysema around the neck and right side of the thorax

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