INTERMITTENT POSITIVE VENTILATION THROUGH A LARYNGEAL MASK IN CHILDREN - DOES IT CAUSE GASTRIC DILATATION

After obtaining Ethics Committee approval and informed consent, sixty children, ASA Grade 1 or 2 and aged six months to ten years, were rand omly allocated to receive intermittent positive pressure ventilation t hrough either a laryngeal mask or a tracheal tube. Inflation pressures were maintained below 20 cm H2O, and gas aspirated from the stomach v ia an orogastric tube over a one h period. No large volumes were aspir ated and no differences were detected between the groups. We conclude that healthy children over the age of six months can be safely ventila ted through the laryngeal mask airway without gastric distension.