Pre-oxygenation/de-nitrogenation for three minutes of spontaneous breathing or alternatively four to eight deep breaths prior to rapid sequence anesthetic induction/intubation (RSII) in patients with healthy lungs, low oxygen demands and normal hemoglobin levels allows up to eight minutes of safe apnea time or DAWD.~The study will test the efficacy of the Pentax AWSTM video laryngoscope (VLS) equipped with a P Blade as the means to provide apneic oxygenation and prolong DAWD. The P Blade sports a suction conduit which can equally well provide a conduit for oxygen administration. The initial phase of the study will include non-obese healthy (ASAR 1-2) women patients requiring endotracheal anesthesia for gynecologic (open or laparoscopic) abdominal surgery. Subsequently a cohort of morbidly obese patients (BM I ≥ 40 kg/m2) also requiring gynecologic abdominal access will be recruited for investigation.~Participants of each group (obese, non-obese) will be randomized to apneic oxygenation with the the Pentax AWS Laryngoscope or no apneic oxygenation.
The study will test the efficacy of the Pentax AWSTM video laryngoscope (VLS) equipped with a P Blade (Figure 1) as the means to provide Apneic Oxygenation (AO) and prolong Duration of Apnea Without Desaturation (DAWD) in non-obese and morbidly obese females.