High‐flow humidified nasal oxygenation vs. standard face mask oxygenation

Summary Ten healthy volunteers received oxygen for 1 min, 2 min and 3 min at 10 l.min −1 via a face mask, or humidified oxygen at 60 l.min −1 via nasal prongs (Optiflow TM ) with the mouth closed and with the mouth open. The mean ( SD ) end‐tidal oxygen partial pressure after 3 min face mask and Optiflow oxygenation, with mouth closed and open, were: 88.5 (6.2) kPa; 85.6 (6.4) kPa and 48.7 (26.4) kPa, respectively, p = 0.001. The equivalent mean ( SD ) transcutaneous oxygen partial pressures were: 34.6 (5.4) kP a; 36.4 (6.5) kP a and 25.5 (15.7) kP a, respectively, p = 0.03. High‐flow humidified nasal oxygenation for 3 min with the mouth closed was as effective as 3 min face mask oxygenation.