Conclusions
RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION
Although in general oxygen supplementation improves oxygenation in postoperative patients, its presence does not prevent pharmacologically or opioid-induced respiratory depression. Clinicians should practice caution when providing oxygen therapy in that setting and ensure that patients are monitored sufficiently to confirm proper ventilation and intervene before patient deterioration. This post-hoc analysis does not provide a definite answer to the examined relationship between supplemental oxygen therapy and postoperative monitoring of respiration and should be seen as an evidence source for generating future hypotheses.