An evaluation of the I-gel supraglottic airway in 70 pediatric patients.

The I-gel is a supraglottic airway device which is commonly used in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. In this study, we evaluated the speed of insertion, adequacy of ventilation, leak pressure, gastric tube insertion, and problems when using the I-gel in children. We included 70 patients aged between 1 and 16 years old with ASA physical status classification I or II, undergoing elective surgery requiring general anesthesia, for which use of a supraglottic airway would be appropriate. The overall insertion success rate was 96 % with a median insertion time of 25 (18-34) [7-100] s. Seventeen patients (24.3 %) experienced problems including the need for change of airway device, laryngospasm, device displacement, blood on device after removal, and postoperative sore throat. In conclusion, there was a moderate rate of problems when using the I-gel in children, and it was necessary to change the airway in a few patients to optimize ventilation.

Self-rated health, associated factors and diseases: a community-based cross-sectional study of Singaporean adults aged 40 years and above.

INTRODUCTION: Subjective indicators of health like self-rated health (SRH) have been shown to be a predictor of mortality and morbidity. We determined the prevalence of poor SRH in Singapore and its association with various lifestyle and socioeconomic factors and disease states. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional survey by interviewer-administered questionnaire of participants aged 40 years and above. SRH was assessed from a standard question and categorised into poor, fair, good or excellent. Lifestyle factors, socioeconomic factors and presence of disease states were also assessed. RESULTS: Out of 409 participants, 27.6% rated their health as poor or fair, 53.1% as good and 19.3% as excellent. Smaller housing-type (PRR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.10- 2.44) and lack of exercise (PRR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.06-2.22) were found to be associated with poor SRH. Presence of chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease (PRR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.13-3.17), diabetes mellitus (PRR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.18-2.91), history of cancer (PRR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.05-4.41) and depression (PRR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.13-2.65) were associated with poor SRH. CONCLUSION: Prevalence and factors associated with poor SRH in Singapore was comparable to other developed countries. SRH is an important subjective outcome of health and has the potential for wider use in clinical practice in Singapore.