Apneic oxygenation to prevent oxyhemoglobin desaturation during rapid sequence intubation in a pediatric emergency department

Apneic oxygenation is the delivery of oxygen to the nasopharynx during intubation. It may mitigate the risk of oxyhemoglobin desaturation but has not been well-studied in children. We conducted a retrospective, observational study of patients undergoing rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in a pediatric emergency department. We compared patients who received apneic oxygenation, delivered via simple nasal cannula at age-specific flow rates, to patients who did not receive apneic oxygenation. The main outcome was occurrence of oxyhemoglobin desaturation during RSI, defined as oxyhemoglobin saturation dropping to