Apneic laryngeal oxygenation during elective fiberoptic intubation – a technical simulation

Background Sedation during elective fiberoptic intubation for difficult airway can cause respiratory depression, apnea and periods of desaturation. During apneic episodes, hypoxemia can be prevented by insufflation of oxygen in the deep laryngeal space. The aim of this study was to evaluate an oropharyngeal oxygenation device (OOD) designed for deep laryngeal insufflation during fiberoptic intubation. Methods The OOD is split in the front to form a path for the bronchoscope. An external lumen delivers oxygen in the deep laryngeal space. In this experimental study, air application (as control group), oxygen application via nasal prongs, oxygen application via the OOD, and oxygen application via the working channel of a bronchoscope were compared in a technical simulation. In a preoxygenated test lung of a manikin, decrease of the oxygen saturation was measured over 20 min for each method. Results Oxygen saturation in the test lung dropped from 97 ± 1% (baseline in all groups) to 58 ± 3% in the control-group ( p < 0.001 compared to all other groups) and to 78 ± 1% in the nasal prong group ( p < 0.001 compared to all other groups). Oxygen saturation remained at 95 ± 2% in both the OOD group and the bronchoscopy group ( p = 0.451 between those two groups). Conclusion Simulating apneic laryngeal oxygenation in a preoxygenated manikin, both oxygen insufflation via the OOD and the bronchoscope kept oxygen saturation in the test lung at 95% over 20 min. Both methods significantly were more effective than oxygen insufflation via nasal prongs.