Laryngeal Tube and Laryngeal Mask Airway for Airway Management: A Comparative Study

Introduction: We compared the efficiency of laryngeal Tube ( LT) with laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA), in maintaining the airway during general aneasthesia for different surgical procedures. Objectives: Our aim was to recommend suitable equipment for airway management during general asasthesia. Study design: Quasi experimental. Setting: Services hospital Lahore, which is a tertiary care hospital affiliated with services institute of medical sciences (SIMS) Lahore. Duration: Study started on 25th of May, 2004 and finished on 31st of March, 2006. Subjects: Hundred patients were randomly divided into two groups, I (LT) and II (LMA), each having fifty patients. Methods: Adult male and female patients aged 18-60 years, having no medical problem were taken. Obese, Pregnant, and patients with pharyngeal pathology were excluded from the study. Results: Out of 100 patients, 77% were males and 23% were females. Mean age in years was 32.74 +/- 13.34 for group I, while it was 32.70 +/- 12.02 for group II. Mean height for group I was 161.44 +/- 7.75, while it was 161.04 +/- 8.03 for group II. Regarding ease of insertion, Ventilaiton and complication p values were, 0.6, 0.11 and 0.89 respectively. All three values were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: As a conclusion it was noted that LT was equally good device as compared to LMA and could be used in place of LMA.