Authors

  1. Jones, John W. DNP, MSN, CRNA
  2. Varga, Jeffrey MD
  3. Chasens, Eileen R. PhD, RN, FAAN
  4. McGrath, Kevin MD
  5. Deslate, Sarah DNP, CRNA
  6. Henker, Richard PhD, CRNA, FAAN

Abstract

Many outpatient gastrointestinal procedures are completed with propofol anesthesia. A side effect of propofol is airway obstruction and subsequent hypoxia. This study was designed to determine whether the use of a high-flow nasal cannula is associated with a decreased incidence of hypoxia or airway obstruction in patients undergoing propofol sedation in the gastrointestinal laboratory with a STOP-BANG score >=5. High-flow nasal cannula was administered at 70 L/min on 27 patients with a STOP-BANG score >=5 receiving monitored anesthesia care sedation for an esophagogastroduodenoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, or colonoscopy procedure. Patients were compared to a group from a previous project without the use of high-flow nasal cannula assessing whether hypoxia, apnea, or the need for airway maneuvers occurred. The non-high-flow nasal cannula group required an airway maneuver 53.3% (n = 8) whereas the high-flow nasal cannula group required an airway maneuver 18.5% (n = 5) (p = .021). High-flow nasal cannula was associated with a reduced need for airway maneuvers in patients with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea undergoing propofol-assisted procedures.