Pre‐oxygenation vs. apnoeic oxygenation in obstetrics

Planning the obstetric airway

“…However, in a computational model, the positive effect on oxygen saturation of increasing oxygen concentration at the open glottis during apnoea in the term parturient has been demonstrated[16]. This, coupled with numerous case reports and work in the nonobstetric population, would strongly imply that high-flow nasal humidified oxygenation has an important role in maintaining oxygenation in the apnoeic period during obstetric general anaesthesia[17]. Research in this patient group is fraught with difficulties, but evidence is required to answer this question.…”