Administration of Oxygen with Mouth-Held Nasal Prongs during

Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Oxygen Administration During Nasal Flexible Bronchoscopy

“…Methods of supplemental oxygen delivery during FB include nasal cannula, Venturi mask, continuous positive airway pressure mask, and pharyngeal catheter. Harless et al 13 reported the efficacy of nasal prongs placed in the mouth of 16 patients undergoing transnasal FB. All of these patients received oxygen at a rate of 7 L/min, since this study was conducted in Salt Lake City at an altitude of 1,520 m and no patients had the prongs placed in the nares.…”

“…All of these patients received oxygen at a rate of 7 L/min, since this study was conducted in Salt Lake City at an altitude of 1,520 m and no patients had the prongs placed in the nares. 13 In a study that included 160 patients, Milman et al 9 clearly demonstrated that supplemental oxygen, provided either by a nasal catheter or a pharyngeal catheter, significantly reduced hypoxemia during FB compared to patients who did not receive supplemental oxygen. Although patients receiving 2 L/min of supplemental oxygen by pharyngeal catheter had fewer episodes of hypoxemia than those who used a nasal catheter, no patients in the pharyngeal catheter group had a BAL performed during their FB compared to 38% of the patients in the nasal catheter group.…”

“…12 As transnasal FB became popular, supplemental oxygen was delivered by Venturi mask 7,8 and, later, mouth-held nasal cannula ("prongs"). 13 In one study, 9 the delivery of oxygen via a pharyngeal catheter produced fewer episodes of hypoxemia compared to nasal cannula or no oxygen supplementation. At our institution, patients undergoing FB usually receive supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula, which is placed either in the nares or in the mouth, depending on operator preference and training.…”

Risk factors of hypoxia during flexible bronchoscopy use in infants

“…A decline in arterial oxygen saturation was frequently noted during FB in infants and children; the risk of desaturation is increased when the bronchoscope was positioned in the mid-trachea. Harless and colleagues 13 reported the efficacy of nasal prongs placed in the mouth of 16 patients undergoing transnasal FB. Weber and others 14 conclude that nasal prongs are as effective as an nasopharyngeal catheter in delivering oxygen to children with a hypoxemia, and they are also safer to use.…”