Comparing the Efficiency of Laryngeal Mask Airway and Endotracheal Tube Insertion in Airway Management in Patients Planning for Elective Orthopedic Surgery under General Anesthesia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES

The present study compared respiratory parameters between the two methods of airway establishment, ETT and LMA, for patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery with general anesthesia.

METHODS

This randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted on patients scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia, in Bandar Abbas, Iran, from January 2021 to December 2021. Using a random allocation table, the study participants were randomly divided into two groups, to employ either ETT (n=48) or LMA insertion (n=48). The study's ultimate goal was to assess the respiratory parameters in 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 minutes following intubation.

RESULTS

At all-time points, the average of peak airway pressure (P peak) and P plateau parameters in the ETT group was much higher than the EMA group (<0.001 in all comparisons). The value of dynamic lung compliance in the LMA group was significantly higher than the ETT group in all considered time periods (<0.001 in all comparisons). The upward trend in the value of this index was significant only in the LMA group (=0.030). There were no significant differences in arterial oxygen saturation and end-tidal carbon dioxide levels between the two groups (>0.05).

CONCLUSION

In terms of arterial oxygen saturation stability and at the same time providing respiratory dynamic compliance, the LMA device outperformed the ETT.