← Issue №7/ week of Aug 16, 2026/Endoscopy

Oropharyngeal airway integrated with capnography and oxygenation for sedated gastrointestinal endoscopy in obese patients: a randomised trial.

From GI Signals issue №7: what this paper found, what it changes, and where it sits against the current standard of care, reviewed by Simon Mathews, MD.

Endoscopy rct · n=591 · Aug 16, 2026 · Endoscopy · IF 11.8

Oropharyngeal airway integrated with capnography and oxygenation for sedated gastrointestinal endoscopy in obese patients: a randomised trial.

New therapysedationbariatric endoscopyendoscopy quality
Clinical takeawayUse the COMBO device during sedated endoscopy in obese patients (BMI ≥28) to substantially reduce hypoxia risk compared to standard nasal cannula. The device maintains airway patency and enables continuous capnography monitoring, providing an effective strategy for high-risk patients.
What it foundCOMBO device (oropharyngeal airway with capnography and oxygenation) reduced hypoxia (SpO2 75-90% for <60 seconds) from 21.50% to 6.38% (absolute difference -15.13%, 95% CI -20.59 to -9.66, p<0.001) and subclinical respiratory depression from 27.65% to 15.10% in obese patients (BMI ≥28) during sedated endoscopy, without increasing other adverse events.
ContextSedation-induced upper airway obstruction and hypoxia are recognized risks in obese patients undergoing endoscopy. Standard nasal cannulae provide supplemental oxygen but do not prevent airway collapse. This multicenter trial demonstrates an integrated airway management device is significantly more effective, refining risk-reduction strategy for this population.
Measured against the standard of care· ESGE/ESGENA 2026 (PMID 42480549); ASGE 2026 remimazolam clinical practice update (PMID 42848339); ESGE/ESGENA/ESA NAAP 2015; ASGE 2018; ASA 2018 moderate sedation; multisociety GLP-1 perioperative guidance 2024

… Before every sedated procedure, check ASA class, Mallampati score, BMI, OSA risk and fasting status. … Involve an anesthesiology specialist for emergency endoscopy with raised aspiration risk, hemodynamic instability or significant comorbidities. Do the same electively for ASA >=3, Mallampati >=3, severe OSA or an expected difficult airway. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

Match the pre-sedation assessment, the drug regimen and the monitoring to the patient's risk and the complexity of the procedure. Before every sedated procedure, check ASA class, Mallampati score, BMI, OSA risk and fasting status. Propofol and midazolam-with-opiate are both strongly recommended. Using propofol as first line depends on national legislation and staffing, not on proof that it works better. Remimazolam is an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, FDA-approved for procedural sedation in July 2020, with fast onset, short duration, organ-independent metabolism and flumazenil reversibility. It is an accepted alternative to midazolam and propofol. Consider it especially in high-risk patients: the elderly and those with cardiorespiratory comorbidity. ESGE/ESGENA 2026 says this, and the ASGE 2026 clinical practice update now covers it, the first ASGE document to address remimazolam (the ASGE 2018 sedation guideline covered only midazolam and propofol). Whoever gives the sedation must be able to rescue a patient one level deeper than intended. Involve an anesthesiology specialist for emergency endoscopy with raised aspiration risk, hemodynamic instability or significant comorbidities. Do the same electively for ASA >=3, Mallampati >=3, severe OSA or an expected difficult airway. Manage GLP-1 receptor agonists case by case rather than stopping them by default. Discharge the patient against a scoring system, with an adult accompanying them and 24-hour restrictions.

ESGE/ESGENA 2026 (PMID 42480549); ASGE 2026 remimazolam clinical practice update (PMID 42848339); ESGE/ESGENA/ESA NAAP 2015; ASGE 2018; ASA 2018 moderate sedation; multisociety GLP-1 perioperative guidance 2024 · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Xu M … Su D · Endoscopy · IF 11.8 · PubMed ↗Permalink
← Read the whole of issue №7 Every paper GI Signals surfaces gets a page like this one. All issues