CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Endoscopy 2023; 55(03): 207-216
DOI: 10.1055/a-1900-6004
Original article

Nasal breathing is superior to oral breathing when performing and undergoing transnasal endoscopy: a randomized trial

1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Yuki Murakami
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Takahiro Sasaki
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Nobuhiro Ueno
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Shion Tachibana
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Junpei Ikeda
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Kenichi Ishigaki
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Masashi Horiuchi
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Moe Yoshida
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Kyoko Uehara
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Yu Kobayashi
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Yuya Sugiyama
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Takehito Kunogi
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Mizue Muto
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Momotaro Muto
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Shin Kashima
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Kentaro Moriichi
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Nobuyuki Yanagawa
2   Department of Internal Medicine, Engaru-Kosei General Hospital, Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Kazumichi Harada
3   Department of Gastroenterology, Harada Hospital, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Takashi Teramoto
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Toshikatsu Okumura
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
,
Mikihiro Fujiya
1   Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Supported by: Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society, Hokkaido chapter

Trial Registration: UMIN Japan Registration number (trial ID): UMIN000044451 Type of study: Prospective, Randomized, Multi-Center Study


Abstract

Background Transnasal endoscopy presents a technical difficulty when inserting the flexible endoscope. It is unclear whether a particular breathing method is useful for transnasal endoscopy. Therefore, we conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to compare endoscopic operability and patient tolerance between patients assigned to nasal breathing or oral breathing groups.

Methods 198 eligible patients were randomly assigned to undergo transnasal endoscopy with nasal breathing or with oral breathing. Endoscopists and patients answered questionnaires on the endoscopic operability and patient tolerance using a 100-mm visual analog scale ranging from 0 (non-existent) to 100 (most difficult/unbearable). The visibility of the upper-middle pharynx was recorded.

Results Patient characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. Nasal breathing showed a higher rate of good visibility of the upper-middle pharynx than oral breathing (91.9 % vs. 27.6 %; P < 0.001). Nasal breathing showed lower mean [SD] scores than oral breathing in terms of overall technical difficulty (21.0 [11.4] vs. 35.4 [15.0]; P < 0.001). Regarding patient tolerance, nasal breathing showed lower scores than oral breathing for overall discomfort (22.1 [18.8] vs. 30.5 [20.9]; P = 0.004) and other symptoms, including nasal and throat pain, choking, suffocating, gagging, belching, and bloating (all P < 0.05). The pharyngeal bleeding rate was lower in the nasal breathing group than in the oral breathing group (0 % vs. 9.2 %; P = 0.002).

Conclusions Nasal breathing is superior to oral breathing for those performing and undergoing transnasal endoscopy. Nasal breathing led to good visibility of the upper-middle pharynx, improved endoscopic operability, and better patient tolerance, and was safer owing to decreased pharyngeal bleeding.

Table 1 s, Figs. 1 s–4 s



Publication History

Received: 12 January 2022

Accepted after revision: 13 July 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
14 July 2022

Article published online:
16 September 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
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