Comparison of High-Flow and Conventional Nasal Cannula Oxygen in Patients Undergoing Endobronchial Ultrasonography

Oxygen therapy is required to prevent hypoxemia during the endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) procedure. Oxygen can be delivered at low or high flow rate. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of oxygen therapy delivered via high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and conventional nasal cannula (CNC) on oxygen saturation and cardiac parameters in patients undergoing EBUS. Patient compliance and satisfaction were also evaluated at the end of the procedure.This single-center prospective interventional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital among patients who presented to the EBUS unit in 2018 and 2019. Patients were randomly assigned to the HFNC group (n=85) or the CNC group (n=85). The study included 170 patients (111 men and 59 women) with a mean age of 58 ± 14 years. There were no significant differences between the HFNC and CNC groups in terms of demographic characteristics or baseline follow-up parameters. End-of-EBUS oxygen saturation was significantly higher in the HFNC group (P