Providing safe, efficient and affordable sedation in endoscopy

Predictive value of NoSAS questionnaire combined with the modified Mallampati grade for hypoxemia during routine sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy

BACKGROUND

The incidence of hypoxemia during painless gastrointestinal endoscopy remains a matter of concem. To date, there is no recognized simple method to predict hypoxemia in digestive endoscopic anesthesia. The NoSAS (neck circumference, obesity, snoring, age, sex) questionnaire, an objective and simple assessment scale used to assess obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), combined with the modified Mallampati grade (MMP), may have certain screening value. This combination may allow anesthesiologists to anticipate, manage, and consequently decrease the occurrence of hypoxemia.

METHODS

This study was a prospective observational trial. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypoxaemia defined as pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) < 95% for 10 s. A total of 2207 patients admitted to our hospital for painless gastrointestinal endoscopy were studied. All patients were measured for age, height, weight, body mass index, neck circumference, snoring, MMP, and other parameters. Patients were divided into hypoxemic and non-hypoxemic groups based on the SpO2. The ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the screening value of the NoSAS questionnaire separately and combined with MMP for hypoxemia. The total NoSAS score was evaluated at cut-off points of 8 and 9.

RESULTS

With a NoSAS score ≥ 8 as the critical value for analysis, the sensitivity for hypoxemia was 58.3%, the specificity was 88.4%, and the area under the ROC was 0.734 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.708-0.759). With a NoSAS score ≥ 9 as a critical value, the sensitivity for hypoxemia was 36.50%, the specificity rose to 96.16%, and the area under the ROC was 0.663 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.639-0.688). With the NoSAS Score combined with MMP for analysis, the sensitivity was 78.4%, the specificity was 84%, and the area under the ROC was 0.859 (P < 0.001, 95%CI:0.834-0.883).

CONCLUSIONS

As a new screening tool, the NoSAS questionnaire is simple, convenient, and useful for screening hypoxemia. This questionnaire, when paired withMMP, is likely to be helpful for the screening of hypoxemia.

Propofol for gastrointestinal endoscopy

Most gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures are now performed with sedation. Moderate sedation using benzodiazepines and opioids continues to be widely used, but propofol sedation is becoming more popular because its unique pharmacokinetic properties make endoscopy almost painless, with a very predictable and rapid recovery process. There is controversy as to whether propofol should be administered only by anesthesia professionals. According to published values, endoscopist-directed propofol has a lower mortality rate than endoscopist-delivered benzodiazepines and opioids, and a comparable rate to general anesthesia by anesthesiologists. Rapid recovery has a major impact on patient satisfaction, post-procedure education and the general flow of the endoscopy unit. According to estimates, the absolute economic benefit of endoscopist-directed propofol implementation in a screening setting is probably substantial, with 10-year savings of $3.2 billion in the USA. Guidelines concerning the use of propofol emphasize the need for adequate training and certification in sedation by non-anesthetists.