The procedure that has aroused great amusement is reminiscent of how one administers an enema, but what is used is a liquid that can contain much more oxygen than water normally does. When the liquid is administered via the rectum, the lower part of the intestine can absorb the oxygen and send it directly into the bloodstream.
The researchers began their work during the covid pandemic when many hospitals had a great shortage of equipment to support breathing in severely ill people. Takanori Takebe, who leads the study, hopes that one will eventually be able to use the technique in the care of newborns.
Swallow air
The inspiration comes to some extent from bottom-dwelling fish that can swallow air from the surface and absorb the oxygen through the intestines, which makes them able to survive in oxygen-poor environments.
Takebe has, together with his colleagues, shown that the method has helped rodents and pigs to survive under oxygen-poor conditions that would otherwise be fatal. Now, the results from the first clinical trial "enteral ventilation" on humans have been published in the journal Med.
Small study
The new study is small and only says how safe the procedure is, nothing about its effectiveness. 27 men have been given different amounts of liquid, however not oxygenated, which they have been asked to hold for 60 minutes. Twenty of them made it through the time, even amounts up to one and a half liters. No serious side effects were reported, but with large amounts of liquid, the test subjects complained of discomfort and felt bloated.
The next step will be to repeat the attempts with oxygenated liquid to measure how much is needed and how long to improve the oxygen level in the blood.
