formation of atelectasis after pre-oxygenation and induction of anaesthesia is oxygen and time dependent. The benefit of using 80% oxygen during induction of anaesthesia in order to reduce atelectasis diminished gradually with time.

Inducing anaesthesia with CPAP/PEEP and FIO2 1.0 and deliberately reducing FIO2 during recovery before removal of the LMA did not reduce post-operative atelectasis compared with FIO2 1.0 before removal of the LMA.

Background Atelectasis is common during and after general anaesthesia. We hypothesized that a ventilation strategy, without recruitment manoeuvres, using a combination of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and a reduced end-expiratory oxygen fraction (FETO2) before ending mask ventilation with CPAP after extubation would reduce the area of postoperative atelectasis.Methods Thirty patients were randomized into three groups. During induction and emergence, inspiratory oxygen fractions (FIO2) were 1.0 in the control group and 1.0 or 0.8 in the intervention groups. No CPAP/PEEP was used in the control group, whereas CPAP/PEEP of 6 cmH2O was used in the intervention groups. After extubation, FIO2 was set to 0.30 in the intervention groups and CPAP was applied, aiming at FETO2 < 0.30. Atelectasis was studied by computed tomography 25 min postoperatively.Results The median area of atelectasis was 5.2 cm2 (range 1.6–12.2 cm2) and 8.5 cm2 (3–23.1 cm2) in the groups given FIO2 1.0 with or without CPAP/PEEP, respectively. After correction for body mass index the difference between medians (2.9 cm2) was statistically significant (confidence interval 0.2–7.6 cm2, p = 0.04). In the group given FIO2 0.8, in which seven patients were ex- or current smokers, the median area of atelectasis was 8.2 cm2 (1.8–14.7 cm2).Conclusion Compared with conventional ventilation, after correction for obesity, this ventilation strategy reduced the area of postoperative atelectasis in one of the intervention groups but not in the other group, which included a higher proportion of smokers.

BackgroundFollowing preoxygenation and induction of anaesthesia, most patients develop atelectasis. We hypothesized that an immediate restoration to a low oxygen level in the alveoli would prevent atelectasis formation and improve oxygenation during the ensuing anaesthesia.MethodsWe randomly assigned 24 patients to either a control group (n = 12) or an intervention group (n = 12) receiving an oxygen washout procedure directly after intubation. Both groups were, depending on body mass index, ventilated with a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 6–8 cmH2O during surgery. The atelectasis area was studied by computed tomography before emergence. Oxygenation levels were evaluated by measuring blood gases and calculating estimated venous admixture (EVA).ResultsThe atelectasis areas expressed as percentages of the total lung area were 2.0 (1.5–2.7) (median [interquartile range]) and 1.8 (1.4–3.3) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The difference was non-significant, and also oxygenation was similar between the two groups. Compared to oxygenation before the start of anaesthesia, oxygenation at the end of surgery was improved in the intervention group, mean (SD) EVA from 7.6% (6.6%) to 3.9% (2.9%) (P = .019) and preserved in the control group, mean (SD) EVA from 5.0% (5.3%) to 5.6% (7.1%) (P = .59).ConclusionAlthough the oxygen washout restored a low pulmonary oxygen level within minutes, it did not further reduce atelectasis size. Both study groups had small atelectasis and good oxygenation. These results suggest that a moderate PEEP alone is sufficient to minimize atelectasis and maintain oxygenation in healthy patients.