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Many problems with the ClassicTM laryngeal mask airway (CLMA) in infants are believed to be related to its inadequate cuff design. One of the main limitations of the CLMA is that the resulting low-pressure seal can be inadequate for positive pressure ventilation (PPV). The ProSealTM LMA (PLMA), a new laryngeal mask airway with a modified cuff, has been shown to form a more effective seal than the CLMA in children. The first infant size PLMA, size 1 , became available recently. We studied 30 anesthetized, nonparalyzed infants aged 15 mo (230 mo) and weighing 9 kg (512 kg). The CLMA and PLMA were inserted in random order into each patient. Airway leak pressure and maximum tidal volume were measured. Ease of insertion, quality of initial airway, and fiberoptic position were also determined. Gastric tube placement was assessed for the PLMA. The mean airway leak pressure in neutral head position (26.7 versus 18.9 cm H2O), maximum flexion (35.6 versus 28.2 cm H2O), and the mean maximum tidal volume (312 versus 260 mL) were significantly higher for the PLMA (P < 0.01). Air entered the stomach in eight patients with the CLMA but did not with the PLMA. Gastric tube placement was possible in all but one patient. In three patients, the use of the PLMA led to some degree of clinically relevant compression of the larynx. The size 1 PLMA seems to be a more suitable device for airway maintenance in infants than the same size CLMA. The ability to insert a gastric tube at the same time, and a significantly higher airway leak pressure than with the CLMA, may have important implications for its use for PPV in infants.
Although the safety and efficacy of the ClassicTM laryngeal mask airway (CLMA) in children has been shown in several large observational studies (13), findings suggest that the smaller-sized CLMAs, in particular sizes 1 and 1 , are less suitable for airway maintenance under general anesthesia (GA) in small infants (35) and that they may even be associated with more frequent complications than with the facemask (FM) and endotracheal tube (ETT) (6,7). Among the most frequently described complications are insertion difficulties, intraoperative dislodgement, poor airway sealing, ventilation difficulties, and airway obstruction secondary to laryngospasm (47). Whereas airway obstruction is most often caused by an inadequate level of anesthesia, many other problems are believed to be caused by inadequate cuff design, resulting in a suboptimal pharyngeal position of the mask in a large number of patients (8,9). An explanation might be that the pediatric size CLMAs are simply scaled-down versions of the adult sizes, and therefore, they do not match the pediatric airway anatomy as well as the adult sizes match the adult airway. As a consequence, less effective sealing, indicated by a lower leak airway pressure (Pleak), occurs in smaller children but not in older children and adults (10,11). The low-pressure seal of the CLMA has always been one of the main limitations of its use in both adult and pediatric patients; however, because of the comparatively lower Pleak, this is particularly relevant in infants. One of the main concerns is that the low-pressure seal may be inadequate for positive pressure ventilation (PPV), resulting in a risk of gas leakage into the stomach with the subsequent risk of gastric distension and regurgitation. This could put the patient at risk of pulmonary aspiration.
The sizes 2 and 2
After obtaining approval from the local ethics committee and written parental consent, 30 patients (ASA physical status I and II) scheduled for elective genitourinary, general, or orthopedic surgery were studied. Patients were excluded if their ASA physical status was more than II, were at risk of aspiration, or had a potentially difficult airway. Infants younger than 6 mo were not premedicated; patients older than 6 mo were premedicated orally with 0.40.5 mg/kg of midazolam, and EMLATM cream (Astra Zeneca, Wilmington, Delaware) was applied to the back of both hands 30 min before the induction of anesthesia. Standard monitoring consisted of a precordial stethoscope, a temperature probe, an automated arterial blood pressure monitor, electrocardiography, pulse oximetry, and capnography. GA was induced by inhalation of 8% sevoflurane in 66% N2O with oxygen in most patients (n = 18). After IV access was established, the level of anesthesia was deepened by an injection of 2030 µg/kg of alfentanil followed by 23 mg/kg of propofol. GA was induced IV with 2030 µg/kg of alfentanil followed by 45 mg/kg of propofol in older patients and patients in whom an IV line was in place before surgery (n = 12). Anesthesia maintenance was with 0.150.20 mg · kg1 · min1 of propofol and additional boluses of 20 µg/kg of alfentanil if required. No neuromuscular blocking drugs were used. After cessation of spontaneous ventilation, the lungs of the patients were ventilated manually via a FM until a sufficient depth of anesthesia was reached, as indicated by a heart rate 20% less than the baseline value. The first LMA was then positioned, and measurements were made. After completion of measurements with the first mask, it was removed; the second mask was then positioned, and the same measurements made. The order of mask insertion in each patient was randomized by a departmental study nurse before commencement of the trial. The information on the order was kept in a sealed envelope opened before the induction of anesthesia by a study nurse not involved in the investigation. The envelopes were numbered from 1 to 30. Both types of mask were positioned using the standard technique recommended by Dr. Brain in Brimacombe et al. (14). The breathing tube was connected to the circle system of an anesthesia machine (Primus®; Draeger, Luebeck, Germany) and manual ventilation started after inflation of the cuff to an intracuff pressure (Pintracuff) of 60 cm H2O (VBM Cuff Pressure Gauge; VBM Medizintechnik, Sulz a.N., Germany). Auscultation of the epigastrium and larynx was performed before the device was taped, as recommended by Dr. Brain in Brimacombe et al. (14). The head of the child was then placed in the neutral position, without a pillow to avoid any flexion of the neck. During the initial study period, the lungs were ventilated manually; once the measurements had been completed, pressure-controlled ventilation was used to ventilate the lungs throughout the procedure in most patients. The total doses of propofol and alfentanil given throughout the period of measurement were recorded. The number of attempts to position each mask was recorded. A maximum of two attempts was allowed for each device. Removal of the mask from the mouth was considered a failed attempt. Ease of placement was recorded from 0 to 10 on a visual analog scale, with 0 indicating placement with one movement without interruption and no resistance felt and 10 indicating that placement was not possible. The quality of the initial airway was assessed during manual ventilation, with the pop-off valve set to limit peak airway pressure (PIP) to 20 cm H2O. The initial airway was judged as follows: excellent = no audible leak; good = an audible leak with relevant loss of air but sufficient ventilation, as indicated by a PETCO2 <40 mm Hg; and poor = clinically relevant loss of air and insufficient ventilation, requiring repositioning or replacement of the device. Air entry into the stomach and abnormal airway sounds over the larynx were noted by auscultation. After placement of the PLMA, a DT test, as described in the PLMA instruction manual (15), was conducted to confirm correct position of the distal end of the DT at the proximal end of the esophagus. A small amount of lubricant jelly was used to close the proximal end of the DT. A slight up and down movement of the lubricant bolus was judged a positive DT test, ejection of the lubricant bolus was judged a negative DT test, and no clear movement of the lubricant bolus was judged an inconclusive DT test. After confirming an adequate level of anesthesia again, the maximum TV and the Pleak were measured in three different head positions. The Pintracuff was checked before starting the measurements. If required, it was adjusted to 60 cm H2O. Maximum TV was determined by squeezing the anesthesia circuit bag until an audible leak was noted in the mouth of the patient; the largest expired TV of three breaths, as indicated by the anesthesia machine, was recorded. Pleak was measured after the fresh gas flow was set to 3 L/min and the expiration valve closed (10). The airway pressure at which an audible leak in the mouth of the patient occurred was recorded as the Pleak. The expiration valve was opened if the Pleak reached 40 cm H2O without an audible leak. The Pleak value on the monitor of the anesthesia machine was not visible to the observer of the audible leak. The order of the head position was neutral, maximum flexion, then maximum extension. The lungs of the child were manually ventilated between the consecutive measurements. Fiberoptic examination of the position of the LMA was performed thereafter (2.8-mm flexible endoscope; Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany). The position of the LMA was graded in accordance with the fiberoptic scoring system described previously (16). When the PLMA was positioned first, a 10F gauge g-tube was then introduced and correct placement confirmed by auscultation of the epigastrium during injection of a small amount of air. Gastric fluid was aspirated using a syringe and the amount of fluid noted. The PLMA and g-tube were removed, and the same measurements were made for the CLMA, which was left in place for the rest of the procedure. When the PLMA was positioned second, the g-tube remained in place until surgery was over. It was removed under suction before the PLMA was removed once the child was fully awake. Both masks were inspected after removal for signs of blood. Any adverse events, apparent oropharyngeal injuries, or problems with the devices were documented. The patient was examined between 6 and 8 h after the end of the anesthetic.
The primary variable was Pleak. The mean Pleak values for different size CLMAs vary in the literature depending on the study population, size of the LMA, Pintracuff of the LMA, and fresh gas flow used during measurements (5,10,17). Pleak values for the size 1
The study sample consisted of 26 male and 4 female patients (25 infants aged 12 mo (226 mo) and 5 former premature infants aged 29 mo (2630 mo). Demographic and anesthetic data are presented in Table 1. No patients were excluded from the analysis.
All airway devices were positioned within two attempts (Table 2). Ease of insertion was similar for both devices; the initial quality of the airway was significantly better for the PLMA (P = 0.001); the PLMA had to be repositioned in one patient and the CLMA in seven patients because of a poor airway seal (Table 2). No LMAs had to be exchanged for ETTs. The size 1
Adverse events were recorded in three patients during the anesthetic. One patient (PLMA in place) developed a degree of airway obstruction, indicated by an expiratory airway noise with an accompanying increase in end-tidal CO2. The noise resolved, and the TV returned to normal, after a bolus injection of propofol and alfentanil, indicating an inadequate level of anesthesia as the underlying reason. One patient (CLMA in place, Pleak = 17 cm H2O) had presented with a runny nose and a low preoperative (96% in room air) peripheral oxygen saturation (Spo2) and began to wheeze during surgery. It was not possible to achieve normal ventilation, indicated by an increased end-tidal CO2 (4755 mm Hg), despite adjustment of the ventilator settings. It is most likely that this patient had a respiratory tract infection. Another child developed a clinically relevant opioid-induced respiratory insufficiency after a bolus injection of alfentanil during the induction procedure, resulting in a sudden increase in airway pressure and decrease in TV during FM ventilation. The Spo2 decreased to a minimum of 87%, and the end-tidal CO2 increased to a maximum of 62 mm Hg caused by the inability to ventilate the lungs of this patient adequately. Both variables were restored to normal within 15 min, and it was possible to take all measurements after this; however, the patient's lungs were ventilated manually until spontaneous ventilation resumed because controlled ventilation with an adequate TV (810 mL/kg) remained difficult, and the planned procedure lasted only 30 min. All cases continued without any further adverse events. All patients had an uneventful postoperative course.
The PLMA has been shown to form a more effective seal than the CLMA and to facilitate g-tube placement in adults (18) and children (12,13). The results of this investigation indicate that this is also true for the size 1 PLMA in infants. We found that the Pleak for the size 1 PLMA was significantly higher than that of the CLMA in the neutral position and with maximum flexion of the neck. This, as well as the fact that the Pleak at maximum flexion was significantly higher and significantly lower at maximum extension than in the neutral position for both types of mask, agrees with our findings in larger children (12,13). The PLMA can lead to some degree of upper airway obstruction (13,19,20). For this reason, we also determined the maximum TV to determine whether an increased Pleak is associated with a larger TV or might be associated with a reduced TV in some patients. Our results indicate that a higher Pleak actually allows a larger TV in most patients; however, in three of five patients, fiberoptically confirmed compression of the larynx during use of the PLMA led to a reduced maximum TV compared with the CLMA. This confirms our findings in older children (13) and, in our view, indicates that the PLMA might be a more invasive airway device than the CLMA. Anesthesiologists should be alerted to the potential of clinically relevant upper airway obstruction during use of the PLMA in infants, because this might require exchange of the PLMA for the CLMA or an ETT (in patients that are likely to require high PIP for PPV) before starting the surgical procedure. The low-pressure seal of the CLMA has always been one of the main limitations of its use for PPV in both adult and pediatric patients. However, because of the comparatively lower Pleak (10,11), this limitation is particularly relevant to pediatric patients. An increased Pleak permits higher PIP during PPV. Therefore, the PLMA may be a better choice than the CLMA in pediatric patients requiring PPV, a mode of ventilation that is increasingly being used with the CLMA in children (17,21). Although our study was performed in infants without pulmonary disease, this might be particularly valuable in patients with low-lung compliance or high airway resistance requiring high PIP, such as patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia or reactive airway disease. It has been clearly shown that these patients can benefit from the use of LMA, because supraglottic airway devices can be less irritating to the upper and lower airway than the ETT (22). A further reason for using the PLMA relates to its ability to separate the respiratory and alimentary tracts. Gastric insufflation and the subsequent risk of aspiration with the CLMA is one of the main concerns when using it for PPV (23,24). Air entry into the stomach was not evident in any patient in our study on auscultation of the epigastrium after placement of the PLMA and during Pleak measurement but was detected in eight cases with the CLMA. These findings at the beginning of the GA, and our ability in all but one patient to place a g-tube in the stomach through the DT of the PLMA at the first attempt, suggest that the PLMA might provide a degree of protection against aspiration both by avoidance of gastric insufflation and by offering the possibility of emptying the stomach. This belief is supported by a cadaveric study (25) and clinical evidence from a number of case reports (2629), where pulmonary aspiration of regurgitated gastric fluid under GA was prevented when the PLMA was used in adult and pediatric patients.
In contrast to studies in adult patients, we did not find that placement of the mask was more difficult or that positioning, as viewed fiberoptically, was worse for the PLMA than the CLMA. In fact, the incidence of an obstructed view of the larynx was less frequent with the PLMA. Brimacombe and Keller (18) speculated that the larger cuff of the PLMA is responsible for difficulties in placement and a higher likelihood of epiglottic downfolding. However, the design of the size 1
Some findings suggest that the smaller sized CLMAs, in particular sizes 1 and 1
According to the manufacturer's recommendations, the size 1 The main limitations of our investigation are the small number of patients studied, the lack of comorbid disease, and the role of PPV. We are unable to draw any conclusions about the feasibility of the PLMA for specific subgroups of patients or the safety of this device for PPV with respect to the risk of regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration. However, 21 patients were ventilated using pressure-controlled ventilation without any critical incidents or the need of exchanging the mask for an ETT, neither with the PLMA nor the CLMA. Another limitation of our study is the fact that assessment of initial quality of airway was nonblinded and therefore seems to be rather subjective.
In conclusion, we showed that the size 1
Accepted for publication September 20, 2005.
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