[Airway leak pressure of the ProSeal laryngeal mask airway. Comparison with and without a gastric tube placed through the drain-tube].
BACKGROUND
The ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) has been studied in numerous investigations and the airway leak pressure (P(leak)) is often used as a primary end-point, particularly in comparative studies with other supraglottic airway devices. The PLMA offers the opportunity to place a gastric tube through the drain-tube and P(leak) measurement can take place both with and without a gastric tube. With this study we tested the hypothesis that the use of a gastric tube influences the P(leak).


METHODS
The P(leak) of the PLMA was studied in 98 patients under total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol (0.1-0.15 mg*kgBW-1*min-1) and remifentanil (0.1-0.3 microg*kgBW-1*min-1) before and after placement of a gastric tube through the drain-tube of the PLMA.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the mean baseline P(leak) without a gastric tube in place (25+/-6.3 cm H(2)O) and the mean P(leak) after placement of a gastric tube (25+/-6.7 cm H2O; p=0.6).


CONCLUSIONS
Placement of a gastric tube through the drain-tube of the PLMA does not influence the P(leak). Providing the same method of measurement has been used, P(leak) values from different studies obtained with or without a gastric tube in place are comparable.
Freisburger
C
C
Klinik für Anästhesie und Intensivtherapie, Universitätsklinikum Giessen-Marburg, Standort Marburg, Baldingerstrasse 1, 35033 Marburg.
Goldmann
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000399:Air Pressure; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010880:Piperidines; D015742:Propofol; D000077208:Remifentanil
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D010880:Piperidines; D000077208:Remifentanil; D015742:Propofol