Postoperative pulmonary complications using dry and humidified anaesthetic gases

Abstract

A controlled double-blind study was undertaken to ascertain whether humidification of the anaesthetic gas altered the pulmonary complication rate as compared with dry gas, when administered in a non-rebreathing system to adult patients undergoing abdominal and/or transthoracic operations. Eighty-four patients, anaesthetized on an average for 5 hours, were studied. Sequential analysis showed that there was no significant difference in complication rate between the humidified and the non-humidified groups. The complications in both groups were all transient and harmless. Under the conditions of the study, no reason was found to add the potential risks associated with routine use of humidifiers during anaesthesia. © 1973 John Sherratt and Son Ltd.