COMPARISON BETWEEN THE USE OF ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE AND LARYNGEAL MASK AIRWAY IN PATIENTS WITH UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS

Abstract

Background: The issue of airway management in patients with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) continues to be a clinical problem, as it is associated with high-airway hyperirritability alongside the possibility of complications that may include laryngospasm and bronchospasm. This paper sought to provide a comparison between the efficacy and efficiency of Endotracheal Tube (ETT) and the Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) in patients with URTI undergoing anesthesia.

Methods: 120 patients were enrolled and split evenly in two groups; ETT (n=60) and LMA (n=60). The information was gathered about demographic data, number of attempts to make the insertion, ease of making the insertion, sufficiency of ventilating, manipulating the airways, and the complications during the perioperative period. The hemodynamic variables such as heart beats, blood pressure and oxygen saturation were noted at baseline, during insertion and post-insertion.

Findings: The study proposes that most patients were aged 2535 years (38.2) and males (72.4). LMA (90%): ETT (71.6%): The probability of successful airway insertion at the first attempt was significantly higher with LMA than it was with ETT. Ease of insertion was easy in 91.7 percent of LMA and 56.7 percent ETT. Sufficient ventilation was obtained in every instance. LMA did not necessitate the manipulation of airways in any patient, just like ETT. Nevertheless, both laryngospasm and bronchospasm were found to be much greater in ETT group (28.3 and 31.6) than in the LMA group (0.0% and 1.6). The LMA group had a higher hemodynamic stability with all the patients reporting regular Heart rate and Blood pressure readings right after insertion, as opposed to ETT insertion, which was characterized with short-term changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Conclusion: The research demonstrated that the Laryngeal Mask Airway demonstrated better performance over the Endotracheal Tube in regards of ease of insertion, reduced airway complications, and improved hemodynamic stability in patients with upper respiratory tract infections. LMA can be considered a less harmful and more effective substitute for airway patency in such cases.

Recommendations: The results of  this study suggests that the use Laryngeal mask airway should be more frequent in Upper respiratory tract infections Patients because of its better efficacy. Except the surgeries in which Laryngeal mask airway is contraindicated due to other reasons.