A Comparison of Postoperative Throat and Neck Complaints After the Use of the i-gel® and the La Premiere® Disposable Laryngeal Mask: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial

• Published in: Anesthesia and analgesia Vol. 109; no. 4; pp. 1092 - 1094
• Main Authors: KEIJZER, Christiaan, BUITELAAR, Dirk R, EFTHYMIOU, Katina M, SRAMEK, Michael, TEN CATE, Julia, RONDAY, May, STOPPA, Tino, HUITINK, Johannes M, SCHUTTE, Peter F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.10.2009
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Deglutition Disorders - etiology; Deglutition Disorders - prevention & control; Disposable Equipment; Double-Blind Method; Equipment Design; Female; Humans; Incidence; Laryngeal Masks - adverse effects; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neck Pain - etiology; Neck Pain - prevention & control; Pain Measurement; Pharyngitis - etiology; Pharyngitis - prevention & control; Time Factors; Young Adult; Postoperative; Disposable; Mask; Anesthesia; Neck; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0003-2999; 1526-7598
• DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181b6496a

Many supralaryngeal airway devices are available. Because of the absence of an inflatable cuff, we hypothesized that use of the i-gel should produce fewer postoperative throat and neck complaints compared with a standard disposable laryngeal mask (LM). Two hundred eighteen patients were randomized to have either an i-gel or La Premiere LM airway placed for airway management. Patients were interviewed postoperatively for throat and neck complaints at 1, 24, and 48 h. Interviewers and patients were blinded to the device used. One hundred nine patients had an i-gel and 103 had a La Premiere supraglottic device inserted. The incidence of sore throat was significantly lower with the i-gel than with LM at 1 (6 vs 32), 24 (7 vs 48), and 48 h (5 vs 25). Similar results were seen for dysphagia. The incidence of neck pain was also lower for the i-gel at 24 (1 vs 7) and 48 h (1 vs 7). In this randomized study, the i-gel supraglottic device resulted in a lower incidence of throat and neck complaints than the La Premiere LM airway.