Evaluation of the Explorer Endoscopy Mask(©) for esogastroduodenoscopy in children: a retrospective study of 173 cases.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and safety of the Explorer Endoscopy Mask(®) (EM) as an alternative to endotracheal intubation in children undergoing elective esogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) under general anesthesia (GA).



This study was a retrospective observational study. The study was undertaken at the pediatric digestive endoscopy suite in the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium. We retrospectively analyzed the occurrence of minor and major airway-related adverse effects during pediatric EGD procedures performed under GA with the EM between June 2014 and March 2015.



During the study period, 173 patients underwent EGD. Their mean age was 8.4 years (median: 9.1 years, range 4 months to 16 years). Mean duration of endoscopy (from insertion to removal of the endoscope) was 12.6 min (median: 12 min, range 3-47 min). The use of EM was uneventful in 159 (92%) cases. There were 24 airway-related adverse events in 14 children. Hypoxemia (SpO2 <90%) (13 events, 7.5%) was the most commonly encountered complication followed by laryngo- or bronchospasm (five events, 2.89%), cough (five events, 2.89%), and intubation (one event, 0.58%). No cases of regurgitation/aspiration were observed.



Our data support the EM use in pediatric EGD. There were few transient respiratory adverse events which were easily solved with minor interventions.
Department of Anesthesiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Arnaud
A
Potié
Department of Anesthesiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Caroline
C
Prégardien
Department of Anesthesiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Thierry
T
Pirotte
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Xavier
X
Stephenne
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Isabelle
I
Scheers
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Catherine
C
Wanty
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Françoise
F
Smets
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Etienne
E
Sokal
Department of Anesthesiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Francis
F
Veyckemans
D000293:Adolescent; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004384:Duodenoscopy; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
airway; anesthesia; child; device; gastroscopy; technique