Comparison of Sevoflurane and Propofol for Laryngeal Mask Airway Insertion

Abstract

BACKGROUND Propofol is an appropriate intravenous anaesthetic induction agent for rapid induction and suppression of airway reflexes and is widely used for laryngeal mask airway insertion. Sevoflurane is a halogenated, non-pungent and non-explosive liquid anaesthetic agent with low blood gas solubility administered by inhalation for use in induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia. We wanted to compare the characteristics of sevoflurane and propofol for the induction of anaesthesia and laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion. METHODS We conducted a randomized control study among 70 patients (n=35 in each group) undergoing elective surgery. Patients were anaesthetised with either vital capacity breaths of 8% sevoflurane with 50% N2O and O2 or IV propofol, with loss of eyelash reflex considered as the end point of induction. RESULTS Both the drugs produced almost similar rapid loss of consciousness (propofol-45.29 ± 11.98 sec, sevoflurane-51.03±14.68 sec). The LMA was inserted more rapidly in propofol group (20.43±9.460 sec) than in the sevoflurane group (34.37 ± 17.338 sec), p=0.018. The score for jaw opening was better in the propofol group (2.94 ± 0.236) than in the sevoflurane group (2.66 ± 0.482), p=0.000. The ease of LMA insertion score was better in the propofol group (2.91 ± 0.284) than in the sevoflurane group (2.66 ± 0.482), p=0.008. Both groups had stable haemodynamic parameters. CONCLUSIONS Propofol was more favourable than sevoflurane for laryngeal mask airway insertion due to better jaw relaxation and less insertion time. However, sevoflurane is an alternative to propofol as an induction agent for laryngeal mask airway insertion. KEY WORDS Propofol, Sevoflurane, Laryngeal Mask Airway.