2164P - The impact of cancer patients’ face masks on oxygenation and Co2 retention during treatment

Background

After the emergence of COVID-19, face masks(FMs) have been an important of our daily lives. They are cheap and effective. However, the clinical data in healthy adults concluded that they could result in hypoxemia and hypercapnia. The impact of FM in cancer patients is not known. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impacts of FMs on oxygenation and CO2 retention of cancer patients who are under active treatment.

Methods

The patients who were on active treatment in oncology outpatient chemotherapy unit, were included. Besides routine pretreatment evaluation; the patient, disease and treatment characteristics were recorded. Pre and Posttreatment venous blood gases, pulse oximeter, vital signs were evaluated. The patients’ compliance to wear FMs during the treatment was sustained and acute toxicities were noted. The changes in parameters, and the factors effecting the changes were statistically tested.

Results

126 patients with a median age of 60 (33-85) were evaluated. 73.8% of the had at least one comorbidity, 16.7% with a diagnosis of COPD/ Asthma. Most of them has a diagnosis of breast cancer (32.5%) and half were under palliative treatment. The median treatment time was 150 minutes (90-410). The comparison of pre-post treatment parameters showed a statistically significant changes in Ph (7.37 vs 7.35, p<0.01), pCO2 (44.2 vs 45.8, p=0.049), HCO3 (25.7 vs 25.3, p=0.003), SpO2 (97.0 vs 96.0, p=0.08), fever (36.4 vs 36.3, p=0.023). All the changes were clinically insignificant and in normal ranges. The analysis of the factors related with these changes didn’t point out a specific group of patients that were more prone to changes. There were a few acute toxicities in 3.2% of the patients. They had more post treatment mean arterial pressure (difference; 13.3 vs 0.0 mmHg, p=0.04).

Conclusions

In the patients under active treatment, FMs resulted in statistically significant but clinically non- significant changes in pH, pCO2, HCO3, SpO2 and fever. The FMs are effective and safe products in cancer patients under active treatment.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.