Risk of laryngospasm and bronchospasm with the laryngeal mask airway compared to endotracheal intubation in infants less than six months of age: A retrospective study of 4,173 cases

Abstract

• The routine use of laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) for elective surgery in infants remains controversial.1 • A recent study showed that in patients (< 5 kg) receiving a size 1 LMA, a complete view of the glottis was present in only 50%, the epiglottis was partially obstructing the view in 36.3%, and was completely downfolded in 13.7% of cases.2 • No studies to date have compared the frequency of airway complications with LMA versus endotracheal tube (ETT) in infants undergoing elective surgery. • Therefore, we undertook a retrospective electronic record review to determine if the use of LMAs in patients less than 6 months of age was associated with an increased risk of laryngospasm and bronchospasm compared to ETT.