EDITORIAL: “ROUTINE” PREOXYGENATION BEFORE INDUCTION OF AND RECOVERY FROM ANESTHESIA (A SAFETY PRECAUTION)

Whenever you travel by air “fasten your seat belt” is the “minimum safety precaution” during take off and landing. Similar to air flying, the risk to patients undergoing general anesthesia is highest at induction (take off) and recovery (landing) and hence “routine” preoxygenation during these two critical periods, can be considered a “safety precaution”. The potential for oxygen desaturation in other wise smooth induction of anesthesia in healthy patients has led to previous calls for “routine” preoxygenation. Although it can be argued that such desaturation does not necessarily generate mortality or morbidity, there appears to be an overall weight of benefit favoring this practice.