[Use of the laryngeal mask in general anesthesia. Clinical experience]. / Impiego della maschera laringea in anestesia generale. Esperienza clinica.

GOAL OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the use of the laryngeal mask during general anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively studied patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia in spontaneous breathing. ENVIRONMENT: Urologic and general surgical ward, with standard monitoring equipment. PATIENTS: We studied consecutively 100 patients (ASA 1-3, 80 males, 20 females, age 64 +/- 15 years, range 19-98 years); 59 patients had a preexisting cardiopulmonary or metabolic disease. Monitoring included ECG, the arterial pressure (noninvasive), the CO2 capnography (EtCO2), the pulsossimetry (SpO2), the respiratory rate (RR) and the tidal volume/kg (TVi). The double product (DP = heart rate X systolic arterial pressure) was used as an index of cardiac stress. These parameters were recorded at 10-minute intervals throughout the procedure. RESULTS: The heart rate, the systolic arterial pressure remained stable during the anesthesia, whereas the DP significantly decreased at t10, t20, t30 and t40. The EtCO2 decreased slightly (from 41 +/- 6 to a 36 +/- 4 mmHg; p.n.s.), SpO2 did not change (from 97 +/- 2% to 96 +/- 2%; p:n.s.). The RR significantly increased at t30 and t40 and the TVi significantly increased during the first hour. No relevant complications have been reported. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesia with laryngeal mask was not associated with any detrimental cardiovascular and respiratory effect.