High-flow nasal oxygenation or standard oxygenation for gastrointestinal endoscopy with sedation in patients at risk of hypoxaemia: a multicentre randomised controlled trial (ODEPHI trial).

BACKGROUND

We aimed to determine whether high-flow nasal oxygen could reduce the incidence of decreased peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) compared with standard oxygen in patients at risk of hypoxaemia undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy under deep sedation.

METHODS

This was a multicentre, randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment of the primary outcome evaluating high-flow nasal oxygen (gas flow 70 L min-1, inspired oxygen fraction 0.50) or standard oxygen delivered via nasal cannula or face mask (6 L min-1) or nasopharyngeal tube (5 L min-1) in patients at risk of hypoxaemia (i.e. >60 yr old, or with underlying cardiac or respiratory disease, or with ASA physical status >1, or with obesity or sleep apnoea syndrome) undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. The primary endpoint was the incidence of SpO2 ≤92%. Secondary outcomes included prolonged or severe desaturations, need for manoeuvres to maintain free upper airways, and other adverse events.

RESULTS

In 379 patients, a decrease in SpO2 ≤92% occurred in 9.4% (18/191) for the high-flow nasal oxygen group, and 33.5% (63/188) for the standard oxygen groups (adjusted absolute risk difference, -23.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), -28.9 to -16.7]; P<0.001). Prolonged desaturation (>1 min) and manoeuvres to maintain free upper airways were less frequent in the high-flow nasal oxygen group than in the standard oxygen group (7.3% vs 14.9%, P=.02, and 11.1% vs 32.4%, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients at risk of hypoxaemia undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy under deep sedation, use of high-flow nasal oxygen significantly reduced the incidence of peripheral oxygen desaturation.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03829293.