Neuroanaesthesia & neurocritical care
High-flow oxygen for apnea testing in brain death determination
Main finding · Longitudinal pulse oximetry saturation (SpO2) evolution during apnea testingResult — go to the resultΒ (linear mixed-effects model), overall SpO2 values +1.38Authors' conclusion
HFO delivered through the Opt970® device was associated with modestly higher oxygen saturation during apnea testing compared with standard oxygen insufflation. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive adult patients undergoing apnea testing for brain death determination between January 2023 and May 2026apnea tests analyzed · standard oxygen insufflation 78 · high-flow oxygen (HFO) 66
- Participants
- 144 patients
- Exposure
- Standard oxygen insufflation (6-15 L/min) was compared with HFO delivered through the Opt970® interface (Fisher & Paykel) at 50 L/min and FiO2 1.0
- Standard oxygen insufflationn = 78
- HFOn = 66
- Outcome
- Longitudinal pulse oximetry saturation (SpO2) evolution during apnea testing
Methodological detailsconsecutive adult patients
- Consecutive adult patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Β (linear mixed-effects model), overall SpO2 values
+1.38
P = 0.047
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Desaturation below 94% · occurred less frequently with HFO
P = 0.04
Post-test PaCO2 · slightly higher in the HFO group
P = 0.04
| Outcome | HFO | Standard oxygen insufflation | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest SpO2 during apnea testingSignificantly higher with HFO | 100 (bracketed range as printed 98–100) | 99 (bracketed range as printed 95–99) | P = 0.003 |
Baseline characteristics and ventilatory parameters
- Comparable between groups
Original publication
High-flow oxygen for apnea testing in brain death determination. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. Published 13 October 2026. doi:10.
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