Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A Randomized Trial on Subject Tolerance and the Adverse Effects Associated With Higher- vs Lower-Flow Oxygen Through a Standard Nasal Cannula.
Experts advocate the use of a standard nasal cannula to provide oxygen at flow rates of up to 15 L/minute during emergency intubation. However, because of concerns about potential patient discomfort, some providers avoid providing nasal cannula oxygen at flow rates greater than 6 L/minute. This trial is designed to determine the participants' ability to tolerate 10 minutes of nasal cannula oxygen at higher flow rates. ⋯ Participants were able to tolerate higher-flow nasal cannula oxygen for 10 minutes without difficulty. Higher-flow nasal cannula oxygen at 15 L/minute was associated with some discomfort, but the discomfort quickly dissipated and caused no adverse events.