REGURGITATION OF GASTRIC CONTENTS DURING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA USING THE LARYNGEAL MASK AIRWAY

We have investigated the incidence of regurgitation of gastric contents during general anaesthesia administered via a laryngeai mask airway (LMA) or face mask and Guedel airway in 56 patients with no risk factors for regurgitation. Patients swallowed a gelatine capsule containing methylene blue 10 min before induction of anaesthesia. Fibreoptic laryn–goscopy in the LMA group or conventional laryn-goscopy in the face mask group was performed at the end of surgery. Dye was observed within the laryngeai mask in seven of 28 patients (25%). No patients in the face mask-Guedel airway group regurgitated dye (P = 0.005). There was no evidence of aspiration of dye.