ABSTRACT
The Baska mask is a novel supraglottic airway device. We conducted an initial observational study to assess this device in 30 low-risk female patients. All Baska masks were inserted by a single investigator. The overall success rate for device insertion was 96.7% (95% CI 82.8-99.9%), while the success rate for the first insertion attempt was 76.7% (95% CI 57.7-90.1%). The device was easy to insert, with a mean (SD) difficulty score of 0.9 (1.6) on a 10-cm scale. The mean (SD) airway leak pressure was 35.7 (13.3) cmH(2) O. The incidence of throat pain, dysphonia and dysphagia was low. We conclude that the Baska mask demonstrates a level of utility as an alternative supraglottic airway that is worthy of further clinical study.
Subject(s)
Airway Management/instrumentation , Laryngeal Masks , Adult , Airway Management/adverse effects , Anesthesia, General , Body Mass Index , Deglutition Disorders/epidemiology , Deglutition Disorders/etiology , Disposable Equipment , Dysphonia/epidemiology , Dysphonia/etiology , Electrocardiography , Female , Hemodynamics/physiology , Humans , Intubation, Intratracheal/adverse effects , Intubation, Intratracheal/instrumentation , Laryngeal Masks/adverse effects , Middle Aged , Oxygen/blood , Pharyngitis/epidemiology , Pharyngitis/etiology , Positive-Pressure Respiration/instrumentation , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A practical and reliable monitor of depth of anaesthesia would be a major advance on current clinical practice. None of the present monitors is both simple to use and accurate. Ocular microtremor (OMT) is a physiological tremor that is suppressed by propofol in a dose-dependent manner. We studied OMT during propofol induction and nitrous oxide-oxygen-sevoflurane maintenance of anaesthesia in 30 patients, and compared OMT with the bispectral index (BIS) as a predictor of response to verbal command. METHODS: OMT was measured using the closed-eye piezoelectric strain-gauge technique. OMT and BIS were measured at specific times during the anaesthetic, including at loss of consciousness, at end-tidal sevoflurane 1 and 2%, and at emergence. RESULTS: OMT decreased significantly after induction, did not decrease as end-tidal sevoflurane was increased from 1 to 2%, and increased at emergence in all patients. By logistic regression, OMT was more sensitive and specific than BIS in distinguishing the awake from the anaesthetized state (OMT, 84.9 and 93.1% respectively; BIS, 75.7 and 69.0%). CONCLUSIONS: OMT is suppressed by sevoflurane and accurately predicts response to verbal command. OMT may be a useful monitor of depth of hypnosis.
