Hypoxemia is the most common complication of endotracheal intubation in the critically ill and the strongest risk factor for periprocedural cardiac arrest and death. The traditional approach to avoiding desaturation during intubation is preoxygenation. However, in critically ill patients, acute physiologic abnormalities render preoxygenation less effective. Apneic oxygenation is the delivery of supplemental oxygen to the nasopharynx in the absence of ventilation. By increasing the fraction of oxygen in the gas moving from the nasopharynx to the lungs, apneic oxygenation aims to prevent arterial desaturation.

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