HAMSTER trial results published: Enhanced oxygen delivery for children during surgery

14 June 2024

Children with breathing problems requiring surgery could benefit from a new oxygen delivery technique that improves oxygen flow during anaesthesia.

The high-flow oxygen for children’s airway surgery trial (HAMSTER) results has been published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The trial compared traditional oxygen delivery with a new method using heated and humidified oxygen through small nasal prongs at a higher rate. It involved 530 children aged 0-16 years at five Australian hospitals: Queensland Children’s Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital, Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.

Chief Investigator Associate Professor Susan Humphreys from Queensland Children’s Hospital explained, “This is the largest airway trial in children focusing on the safety of oxygen delivery methods. The new high-flow technique is as safe as the standard method and provides an additional option for anaesthetists.”

The trial, supported by the ANZCA Foundation, Thrasher Research Fund, and endorsed by the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network, was a collaborative effort involving anesthetists and ENT specialists.

Read the ANZCA release here.