China: Using a simple nasopharyngeal airway before painless gastrointestinal endoscopy can dramatically cut the risk of dangerous oxygen drops in obese outpatients, new research in Respiratory Medicine has reported. The study compared standard practice with the use of a prophylactic nasopharyngeal airway in adults with obesity scheduled for outpatient endoscopy under intravenous sedation. Hypoxemia is a common concern during these procedures because sedative medications can relax upper airway muscles and narrow breathing passages, a problem made worse by excess weight. Keeping the upper airway open and maintaining oxygen flow reduces the likelihood of sudden desaturation and the need to pause or abort procedures. Nasopharyngeal airway relieves upper airway obstruction to alleviate hypoxemia during painless gastrointestinal endoscopy for obese outpatients: A prospective randomized controlled trial.