Arterial blood gas tensions during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Abstract

Arterial blood gas tensions were measured before and during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, with (group 1) and without (group 2) sedation with intravenous diazepam. There was a highly significant fall in the PaO2, which occurred in both groups and was therefore not attributable to diazepam. Measurement of FEV1 and FVC before endoscopy had no predictive value for those patients whose PaO2 fell the most.