Comparison of i-gel with cuffed endotracheal tube for low flow anaesthesia in paediatric age group for controlled ventilation

Abstract

Low Flow Anaesthesia (LFA) is an environment friendly technique whose use in paediatric population is not popular. LFA with supraglottic airway device is a rare combination in most centres. This prospective randomized controlled study was formulated to analyse the efficacy of i-gel for LFA as compared with cuffed endotracheal tube (OCETT) in paediatric age group. Children aged between 6 and 12 years requiring general anaesthesia were randomized by closed envelop method into Group I and Group E with 50 in each group. The two groups were compared in terms of air leak, haemodynamic response, end tidal carbon dioxide and inhaled tidal volume (TV), exhaled TV. Incidence of sore throat between the two groups was studied. Position and successful insertion of i-gel® was noted. Air leak observed was significantly higher in Group I but was comparable after 40 min of surgery. Incidence of sore throat was higher in Group E and the difference between the two groups were statistically significant at 0 hours (p = 0.001), 12 hours (p <0.001), 24 hours (p = 0.007) and 48 hours (p = 0.004). LFA can be conducted in paediatric patients using i-geland it functions as efficaciously as endotracheal tube.