In 1959, Frumin described the use of apneic oxygenation during anesthesia and surgery.

Apneic oxygenation is more than a physiologic curiosity.

This phenomenon (apneic oxygenation) is explained as follows:

However, because of the limitations described above, apneic oxygenation is inferior to extracorporal circulation using a heart-lung machine and is therefore used only in emergencies and for short procedures.

However, under special circumstances such as hypothermia, hyperbaric oxygenation, apneic oxygenation (see below), or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, much longer periods of apnea may be tolerated without severe consequences.

After one hour of apneic oxygenation through a needle cricothyrotomy, one can expect a PaCO of greater than 250 mm Hg and an arterial pH of less than 6.72, despite an oxygen saturation of 98% or greater.

Under ideal conditions (i.e., if pure oxygen is breathed before onset of apnea to remove all nitrogen from the lungs, and pure oxygen is insufflated), apneic oxygenation could theoretically be sufficient to provide enough oxygen for survival of more than one hour's duration in a healthy adult.