Published online Dec 14, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i46.10242
Peer-review started: October 19, 2016
First decision: November 14, 2016
Revised: November 21, 2016
Accepted: December 2, 2016
Article in press: December 2, 2016
Published online: December 14, 2016
Processing time: 55 Days and 4.3 Hours
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nitrous oxide-sedated endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.
Enrolled patients were divided randomly into an experimental group (inhalation of nitrous oxide) and a control group (inhalation of pure oxygen) and heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and the occurrence of complications were monitored and recorded. All patients and physicians completed satisfaction questionnaires about the examination and scored the process using a visual analog scale.
There was no significant difference in heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, ECG changes, or complication rate between the two groups of patients (P > 0.05). However, patient and physician satisfaction were both significantly higher in the nitrous oxide compared with the control group (P < 0.05).
Nitrous oxide-sedation is a safe and effective option for patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.
Core tip: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tract and pancreaticobiliary diseases. However, EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a time-consuming procedure associated with pain and discomfort. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a colorless, short-acting inhaled agent that can produce anesthetic, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide-sedated EUS-FNA. However, inhaled nitrous oxide has no effect on heart or lung function and patients remain awake, and this thus represents a feasible mode of sedation for EUS. The current study aimed to establish the safe.