Oxygen mask or nasal catheter? An analysis

In pursuit of cost-efficiency without compromising standards of patient care, a study was undertaken to compare the performances of a medium concentration facemask and a nasal catheter, by measuring the oxygen saturation levels of 40 post-operative patients. Statistical analysis revealed that when oxygen is delivered at 3 litres/minutes, there is no significant difference between the performances of these systems. Patients and nurses indicated a preference for the nasal catheter compared with the facemask. These findings are consistent with previous work in this area, and the wider use of the nasal catheter is called for in oxygen administration to selected post-operative patients.