Anest. intenziv. Med. 2015;26(2):72-78

Sore throat after laryngeal mask insertionAnaesthesiology - Original Paper

Dostálová Kateřina^1,*, Doubravská Lenka¹, Fritscherová Šárka¹, Koutná Jiřina¹, Obare Pyszková Lenka¹, Zapletalová Jana², Adamus Milan¹

¹ Klinika anesteziologie, resuscitace a intenzivní medicíny FN a LF UP Olomouc

² Ústav lékařské biofyziky, LF UP Olomouc

Objective:
To assess the ability of the anaesthesiologist to predict the degree of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) cuff inflation and to determine factors leading to sore throat after LMA insertion.

Design:
A prospective, observational, double-blinded study.
Setting:
Wards and ICUs of surgery, traumatology, urology, plastic and aesthe surgery at a University Hospital.

Materials and methods:
The study enrolled 300 elective surgery patients whose airway was secured by LMA. The patients were questioned about sore throat on the 1^st postoperative day. The questionnaire captured demographic data, maintenance of anaesthesia, LMA size, insertion and removal technique and cuff pressure at 30 minutes after insertion. The outcome data were processed by SPSS statistical software using appropriate statistical tests at significance level of 0.05.

Results:
The incidence of sore throat was 6 %. It was influenced by the insertion technique; we recorded lower incidence of sore throat after LMA insertion with the pilot balloon opened to the atmosphere compared with the cuff deflated (13.1 vs. 33.3 %, p = 0.037). We demonstrated that sore throat was more frequent when cuff pressure exceeded 60 cm H₂O compared to pressure below 60 cm H₂O (24.8 vs. 12.6 %, p = 0.009) and there was significant correlation between N₂O usage and the cuff pressure > 60 cm H₂O compared to N₂O-free anaesthesia(46 vs. 18 %, p = 0.0005).

Conclusion:
LMA cuff pressure above 60 cm H₂O, LMA insertion with a deflated cuff and the use of N₂O increase postoperative sore throat incidence.

Keywords: sore throat; laryngeal mask airway; cuff pressure; nitrous oxide administration

Received: November 20, 2014; Accepted: January 20, 2015; Published: April 1, 2015  Show citation