A recruitment maneuver improves apneic oxygenation

Abstract

Background. Apneic oxygenation (AO) is applied during surgery and in intensive care units. Even with AO, apnea is associated with progressive hypoxemia, limiting the tolerable amount of time in AO. This experimental study evaluates the effects of a recruitment maneuver (RM) on oxygenation, CO(2) retention, and survival times during prolonged apnea, supported or not supported with intratracheal apneic oxygenation.