Effects of low-dose esketamine on hypoxaemia during thoracoscopic non-tracheal intubation anaesthesia: protocol for a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.
BMJ open January 27, 2026 Jing Tian, Mengchao Xu, Songjie Li et al.
Low-dose esketamine may reduce the incidence of intraoperative hypoxaemia during non-intubation thoracoscopic surgery. This randomized controlled trial will assign patients to receive either esketamine or a placebo (normal saline). The main outcomes are the occurrence of hypoxaemia (oxygen saturation ≤90% for at least 10 seconds) and the time until it appears. Secondary outcomes include hypercapnia, inflammatory markers, pain scores, recovery times, and complications. The trial is registered and approved by an ethics committee.