Summary of "Comparison of a Nasal Mask and Traditional Nasal Cannula During Intravenous Anesthesia for Gastroscopy Procedures: A Randomized Controlled Trial"

This randomized control trial compared the effects of two nasal oxygen delivery systems on the incidence of hypoxia among 565 patients undergoing gastroscopy with intravenous anesthesia. The patients were given oxygen at 4 L/M with either 1) a standard nasal cannula, or 2) a nasal mask (using an infant face mask over the nose). The incidence of hypoxia was significantly less in the nasal mask group (18 % vs. 27.7 %). In addition, only 8.8 % of the patients in the nasal mask group required a maneuver to maintain the airway, as contrasted to 19.1 % of those in the nasal cannula group.