Overview
- Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Osaka are developing an enema-like method to deliver oxygen through the rectum for patients with dangerously low oxygen levels.
- Twenty-seven male volunteers received non-oxygenated enemas over an hour to determine tolerable volumes, with most reporting only bloating or mild abdominal discomfort.
- The next planned trials will test whether an oxygen-saturated liquid delivered rectally can measurably raise systemic oxygen levels.
- Clinicians envision any successful approach as a short-term emergency bridge during situations like intubation or transport rather than a replacement for mechanical ventilation.
- Lead investigator Dr. Takanori Takebe drew inspiration from animal physiology and his father's ventilator experience, and the early work earned a 2024 Ig Nobel Prize for its unconventional concept.