Perioperative medicine & outcomes
How hyperoxia affects systemic redox state: insights from PULSE-Ox, a randomised double-blind mechanistic feasibility trial
Authors' conclusion
High oxygen concentrations challenge the body's ability to maintain redox balance, potentially increasing vulnerability to other stressors.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing major cancer surgerymedian age 65.8 yr
- Participants
- 28 adults
- Comparison
- Intraoperative FiO2 0.3 vs 0.55 vs 0.8 throughout anaesthesia
- Conservativen = 8
- Typicaln = 10
- Recommendedn = 10
- Primary endpoint
- Effect of intraoperative oxygen at or below World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended levels on whole-body redox state; ability of redox profiling to distinguish oxygen concentrations
Methodological detailsdouble-blind, mechanistic, feasibility, Recruitment September, 2018 to May 2021
- Double-blind
- Mechanistic
- Feasibility
- Recruitment September, 2018 to May 2021
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Systemic redox state and oxygen utilisation
- Systemic oxygen utilisation paradoxically decreased with higher oxygen concentrations
- P=0.0006
- Nitrosation increased significantly (FiO2=0.3/0.55/0.8)
- P=0.039/0.002/0.039
- 80% oxygen associated with diminished reductive power
- P=0.012
- 80% oxygen associated with significant oxidative stress
- P=0.004
Original publication
How hyperoxia affects systemic redox state: insights from PULSE-Ox, a randomised double-blind mechanistic feasibility trial. BJA Open. Published 28 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →