Prophylactic Postoperative High Flow Nasal

Fulton, R., Millar, J. E., Merza, M., Johnston, H., Corley, A., Faulke, D., Rapchuk, I. L., Tarpey, J., Fanning, J. P., Lockie, P., Lockie, S., & Fraser, J. F. (2021). doi.org/10.1007/s11695-021-05644-y

Background Patients with obesity are predisposed to a reduction in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) and atelectasis after anaesthesia. High flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) may increase EELV, reducing the likelihood of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC). We conducted a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) of conventional oxygen therapy versus HFNO after bariatric surgery. The aim was to investigate the feasibility of using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) as a means of assessing respiratory mechanics and to inform the design of a definitive RCT.