Core temperature measurements through a new airway device, perilaryngeal airway (CobraPLA).

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the intraoperative pharyngeal temperatures obtained on the perilaryngeal airway (PLA), a novel airway device with a larger pharyngeal cuff (when inflated) than the laryngeal mask airway, are similar to tympanic membrane core temperatures.

DESIGN

This study is a prospective, simultaneous device comparison.

SETTING

This study was set at a university hospital.

PATIENTS

The study patients included 14 adults with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statuses I and II, scheduled for minor gynecological or orthopedic surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

A PLA was inserted into the pharynx after induction of general anesthesia. Thermocouples were positioned at 3 sites on the PLA: (1) posterior portion of the head of the airway (tip), (2) midposterior portion of the cuff, and (3) left and right lateral-posterior portions of the cuff. Tympanic membrane thermocouples were inserted.

MEASUREMENTS

Temperature readings from the airway and the tympanic membrane thermocouples were recorded every 15 minutes throughout surgery.

MAIN RESULTS

Temperatures recorded from the lateral-posterior cuff were found to be virtually identical to tympanic membrane temperatures, with 97% of the values differing by less than 0.5 degrees C. Readings from the other 2 sites on the cuff differed considerably more from tympanic membrane values.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that the PLA can be adapted to monitor core temperature reliably.