-The clinical use of the cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA)-.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the performance of the COPA device during general anaesthesia.


METHODS
Prospective, clinical, open study.


METHODS
Eighty patients scheduled for short elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia not requiring tracheal intubation.


METHODS
After premedication (midazolam, atropine), anaesthesia was induced with propofol (154 +/- 40 mg = 2.47 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1) and alfentanil (1.14 +/- 0.43 mg). The COPA device was inserted in a fashion similar to a Guedel airway device. The device was evaluated on the following criteria: correct choice of COPA size, ease of insertion, ability to obtain or maintain patent airway. Adverse reactions were noted, such as coughing, nausea, regurgitation, inhalation, and sore throat. The overall rating of the COPA as a "hand free device" was evaluated on the basis of excellent, good, fair, and poor.


RESULTS
Insertion of the device was easy and in 70 cases successful on the first attempt. Jaw thrust on head tilt was necessary in half the cases. No patient necessitated intubation because of hypoxaemia or airway obstruction. Adverse reactions occurred in few cases and consisted of sore throat (always moderate) in 10% of the cases. COPA was evaluated as excellent or good in 80% of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
COPA is a convenient device for airway management in fasting patients undergoing general anaesthesia for elective surgery in the supine position, in whom tracheal intubation is not indicated.
Boufflers
E
E
Département d'anesthésie-réanimation chirurgicale 1, CHRU, Lille, France.
Maslowski
D
D
Menu
H
H
Guermouche
T
T
Theeten
G
G
Beague
D
D
Reyford
H
H
Krivosic-Horber
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015760:Alfentanil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004867:Equipment Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007440:Intubation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009960:Oropharynx; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000209:etiology; D015742:Propofol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D015760:Alfentanil; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D015742:Propofol