ORIGINAL ARTICLES  ANESTHESIOLOGY Free access

Minerva Anestesiologica 2000 June;66(6):439-43

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Laryngeal mask (LMA) vs tracheal tube in pediatric anaesthesia in the presence of upper respiratory tract infection (URI)

Tartari S., Fratantonio R., Bomben R., Paolazzi M., Gritti G., Alvisi R.

Università degli Studi - Ferrara Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Terapie Avanzate Sezione di Anestesia e Rianimazione (Direttore: Prof. R. Alvisi) Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova Servizio di Anestesia e Rianimazione (Direttore: Prof. G. Gritti)

Background. The aim of this report is to assess the incidence of postoperative respiratory complications in patients recently suffering from inflammation of the upper respiratory tract in whom a LMA or an uncuffed orotracheal tube have been used.
Methods. Four hundred patients were enrolled aged 6 months to 12 years undergoing general anaesthesia for elective body surface surgery with insertion of the LMA (group M) or the uncuffed tube (group T). Acute inflammation of the upper airways (URI) was assessed, defined by the presence of at least two of the following symptons, rhinorrea, coughing, pharyngodynia, disphony, fever, malaise. The appearance of post-surgical adverse respiratory events (ARE), such as laryngospasm, stridor, disphony, excessive coughing was detected. Patients were divided into four groups in relation to the management of the airway and the presence or otherwise of URI (M URI, M NO URI, T URI, T NO URI).
Results. In NO URI patients, the presence of ARE was 9.6% in the M and 36.9% in the T group (p<0.001); in URI patients, these figures were respectively 31.5% and 73.9% (p<0.001).
Conclusions. The frequency of ARE increases significantly in URI patients with both LMA and the tracheal tube, but with the former is far lower than with the latter. Despite the appearance of only minor and transient complications, it is confirmed that the tracheal intubation is an additional risk factor as a result of the mechanical airway simulation. In recent URI, it would seem appropriate to avoid tracheal intubation, if possible, preferring the LMA.