Adaptation to Oral Breathing after Anterior Nasal Packing

We report the changes in blood gas tensions in a group of 17 patients during a five-day period of anterior nasal packing after endonasal surgery. Significant hypocapnia was observed in the early postoperative period, which was followed by significant hypoxemia within the first 48 h after surgery, and also shortly after removal of the nasal pack. Analyses of the changes in blood gas tensions suggested disturbances in the ventilation-perfusion ratio. Most subjects required a period of 48 h to adapt to oral breathing.