Supraglottic Jet Oxygenation and Ventilation to Minimize Hypoxia in Patients Receiving Flexible Bronchoscopy Under Deep Sedation: A 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia often occurs due to shared airway and anesthetic sedation-induced hypoventilation in patients receiving flexible bronchoscopy (FB) under deep sedation. Previous evidence has shown that supraglottic jet oxygenation and ventilation (SJOV) via Wei nasal jet tube (WNJ) reduces the incidence of hypoxia during FB. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which SJOV via WNJ could decrease the incidence of hypoxia in patients under deep sedation as compared to oxygen supplementation via WNJ alone or nasal catheter (NC) for oxygen supplementation during FB. METHODS: This was a single-center 3-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). Adult patients scheduled to undergo FB were randomly assigned to 3 groups: NC (oxygen supplementation via NC), low-pressure low-flow (LPLF) (low-pressure oxygen supplementation via WNJ alone), or SJOV (high-pressure oxygen supplementation via WNJ). The primary outcome was hypoxia (defined as peripheral saturation of oxygen [Sp o2 ] <90% lasting more than 5 seconds) during FB. Secondary outcomes included subclinical respiratory depression or severe hypoxia, and rescue interventions specifically performed for hypoxia treatment. Other evaluated outcomes were sore throat, xerostomia, nasal bleeding, and SJOV-related barotraumatic events. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two randomized patients were included in 3 interventions (n = 44 in each), and all were included in the final analysis under intention to treat. Hypoxia occurred in 4 of 44 patients (9.1%) allocated to SJOV, compared to 38 of 44 patients (86%) allocated to NC, with a relative risk (RR) for hypoxia, 0.11; 98% confidence interval (CI), 0.02-0.51; P < .001; or to 27 of 44 patients (61%) allocated to LPLF, with RR for hypoxia, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04-0.61; P < .001, respectively. The percentage of subclinical respiratory depression was also significantly diminished in patients with SJOV (39%) compared with patients with NC (100%) or patients with LPLF (96%), both P < .001. In SJOV, no severe hypoxia event occurred. More remedial interventions for hypoxia were needed in the patients with NC. Higher risk of xerostomia was observed in patients with SJOV. No severe adverse event was observed throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: SJOV via WNJ effectively reduces the incidence of hypoxia during FB under deep sedation.