The Effect of Hyperoxia on Ventilation During Recovery From General Anesthesia: A Crossover Preliminary Investigation

In a pilot randomized-controlled trial (NCT04723433) the investigators found that, compared with standard O2 supplementation, hyperoxia enhanced ventilation, as estimated by the fraction of time at a transcutaneous PCO2 (TcPCO2) > 45 mmHg.

More specifically, patients treated with hyperoxia (O2 titrated to: SpO2 > 96%, N=10; Liberal O2) for 90 minutes post-anesthesia, spent 61.2% of the time at TcPCO2 > 45 mmHg, compared with 80.6% of the time in those receiving standard O2 supplementation (O2 titrated to: SpO2 between 90-94%, N=9; Conservative O2 - between-group difference of 19.4% (95% Confidence Intervals: -18.7% to 57.6%), ANCOVA adjusted P = 0.140]. Results were consistent across the 90-min monitoring period. With an observed effect size of 0.73, it was estimated that 30 participants per group are required, to demonstrate this difference with a power of 80% at a two-sided alpha of 5%.

In a follow-up RCT (IRB-63878, NCT05379673) in 18 patients the investigators found that over a 90-minute window, the average percentage of time spent at TcPCO2 > 45mmHg for patients in the Conservative O2 group (N=9) was 57.8% (52 ± 44 minutes), compared with a 45.6% (41 ± 46 minutes) for those in the Liberal O2 group (N=9), (P=0.6134; two-sided two sample t-test). In addition, during the same period, respiratory disturbance index (RDI; events per hour) was higher in the Conservative O2 [median (range): 23.9 (11.0-78.6)], compared with the Liberal O2 group [19.6 (2.8-40.4), Mann-Whitney test, P=0.1615].

Due to the high variability observed in the evaluated respiratory parameters (i.e., TcPCO2 and upper airway obstruction expressed by Respiratory Disturbance Index), the researchers believe that a crossover, rather than a randomized controlled trial, design would improve the power and efficiency of this investigation and also provide an opportunity to characterize better those patients who respond, and separate them from those who do not respond to hyperoxia treatment.

This preliminary investigation will assess how ventilation during recovery from general anesthesia is affected by conservative (Conservative O2: 90% ≤ SpO2 ≤ 94%), compared with liberal (Liberal O2: SpO2 > 96%) O2 supplementation. Using a crossover study design, the investigators aim to: a) assess the breathing pattern and estimate and compare the number of apnea/hypopnea episodes between the two interventions, and b) estimate and compare the cumulative segment of time during which the transcutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide (TcPCO2) will exceed 45 mmHg, between the two interventions.