For treatment of
hypoxemia, delivery of the minimum effective
oxygen flow rate is advantageous during field
anesthesia because it prolongs the life of the
oxygen cylinder. Portable
oxygen concentrators as the
oxygen source require less logistical considerations than cylinders and are a safer alternative during helicopter field work because they are nonexplosive devices. The objective of this study was to evaluate low
oxygen flow rates by continuous or pulsed intranasal delivery for treatment of
hypoxemia in anesthetized white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Nine captive adult female deer (body mass 56-72 kg) were physically restrained in a drop-floor chute and hand injected intramuscularly with
medetomidine (0.1-0.14 mg/kg) and
ketamine (2.5-4.3 mg/kg). Intranasal
oxygen was delivered from an
oxygen cylinder at continuous flow rates of 1 and 2 L/min or from a battery driven
oxygen concentrator (EverGo Portable
Oxygen Concentrator, Respironics) with pulse-dose delivery (maximum capacity of 1.05 L/min). The pulse-dose setting (pulse volume 12-70 ml) was adjusted according to the respiratory rate. Arterial blood
gases were analyzed before, during, and after O2 supplementation. A 10-min washout period was allowed between treatment groups. All three treatments adequately treated
hypoxemia. The partial pressure of arterial oxygenation increased significantly from baseline values of 55 +/- 10
to 115 +/- 31 mm Hg during supplementation from the
oxygen concentrator, to 138 +/- 21 mm Hg during supplementation from the
oxygen cylinder at 1 L/min, and to 201 +/- 42 mm Hg at 2 L/min. In conclusion, low flow rates of intranasal
oxygen supplemented continuously from an
oxygen cylinder or by pulsed delivery from a portable
oxygen concentrator effectively treated
hypoxemia in anesthetized white-tailed deer.