Comparison of Laryngeal Mask Airway and Endotracheal Tube in the Early Incidence of Laryngospasm in Pediatric Patients: A Prospective Double-Blinded Block-Randomized Controlled Parallel Clinical Trial

The study was conducted to compare laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and endotracheal tube (ETT) in the early incidence of laryngospasm after surgery in pediatric patients. The prospective double-blind block-randomized controlled parallel clinical trial was carried out on 90 pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery. The patients selected through convenience sampling and then divided into two groups of 45 by blocked random allocation. One group received ETT and the other group received LMA. The method of anesthesia was the same for both the groups. Finally, after removing the tubes, the incidence of laryngospasm was evaluated and compared between the two groups. A total of 90 patients participated in this study, including 21 boys and 24 girls in the ETT group, and 23 boys and 22 girls in the LMA group; statistically there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender and mean were evidenced. But, the mean insertion speed was 22.15 sec. in the ETT group and 13.99 sec in the LMA group which highly differed statistically. There were three cases of laryngospasm in the ETT group and only one case in the LMA; the difference between the two groups in terms of this value was statistically significant, then, the findings can be generalized in the same population. Results suggest, the use of LMA is more convenient and practical than ETT for elective outpatient surgeries in pediatric patients; then it is recommended that in the same population, the anesthesiologist use from the LMA than ETT.