The European journal of surgery = Acta chirurgica
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To study the time course of nocturnal episodic and constant hypoxaemia during the first five nights after a major abdominal operation in patients not given supplementary oxygen. ⋯ In the light of these results which show the natural history of postoperative hypoxaemia without supplementary oxygen, and because postoperative hypoxaemia may be associated with dysfunction of organ systems after major operations, controlled studies of supplementary oxygen in the late postoperative period are warranted.