Objective: To evaluate the usefulness and safety of bronchoscopy by the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) compared with by nose and by mouth.
Methods: Between April 2009 and Dec 2012, we prospectively studied 150 analgesia brochoscopy in the operating theater of the our hospital. All the patients were randomly assigned by computer to LMA group, non-LMA by nose group (NLBN) and non-LMA by mouth group (NLBM) according the way of bronchoscopy. Each group had 50 cases. We recorded the time of bronchoscopy just through subglottic, total operation time, the times of blood oxygen less than 80% so as to suspend procedure and so on.
Results: Intergroup comparisons showed no difference in gender, age, and the successful rate of biopsy (P > 0.05). The time of bronchoscopy just through subglottic in LMA group was lower than that in NLBN group and in NLBM group significantly (P < 0.01), and no difference between two latter groups (P > 0.05). Also, total operation time of LMA group was higher than that of others (P < 0.05), but no difference between the latter two groups. There were 18 cases in NLBN group and 15 cases in NLBM group respectively, which were suspended procedure during operation due to low oxygen, and the difference did not reach statistical sense (P > 0.05). There were 19 patients presented with nasal discomfort after operations in NLBN Group. The patients in all the three groups had no bad memory or fear, and the acceptance rate of reoperation was all 100%.In general, as to the cases of the patients who presented with pharyngeal discomfort and abnormal pronunciation, there was significance difference between LMA Group and NLBN Group and also between LMA Group and NLBM Group, while the difference between NLBN Group and NLBM Group was not statistically significan.
Conclusion: The use of the LMA during FFB is safe, provides excellent patient comfort, reduces the time of bronchoscopy just through subglottic so as to decrease the total operation time, and is better to control the situation of patient in operation.