• N Roewer and J Schulte am Esch.
• Abteilung für Anästhesiologie, Universitäts-Krankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg.
• Anaesthesist. 1994 Jan 1; 43 (1): 16-25.

AbstractThe rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia in patients with an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration is a quite involved procedure associated with many potential dangers. A new nasogastric balloon tube has been developed, which will prevent the reflux of gastric contents by blocking the cardia with a balloon. It was the aim of this initial study to assess the efficiency of the tube in animals, healthy volunteers and patients. METHODS. With the approval of the Animal Ethics Committee, a total of 16 anaesthetised pigs were used for the animal experiments. Balloon occlusion of the cardia was performed in 10 pigs. Six further pigs with an unblocked cardia served as controls. Vomiting and regurgitation was provoked in each animal using six different manoeuvres while the gastro-oesophageal (lower oesophageal) sphincter and intragastric pressures were monitored and the lower oesophagus was continuously inspected using an endoscope. With local Ethics Committee approval and informed written consent, (1) repeated vomiting was provoked in 16 awake, healthy adult volunteers (10 females, 6 males, 29 +/- 4 years) with a fluid-filled stomach in the presence and in the absence of balloon occlusion of the cardia, while intragastric pressure was monitored, and (2) 30 patients (21-89 years) with an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration scheduled for abdominal or traumatologic surgery received conventional induction of anaesthesia after blocking of the cardia with the balloon. RESULTS. Pigs (n = 10) with a blocked cardia showed no gastro-oesophageal reflux during a total of 60 manipulations to provoke vomiting and regurgitation, while 28 of the 36 provoking manipulations induced reflux in pigs (n = 6) with an unblocked cardia. Among the healthy volunteers with a blocked cardia (n = 16), reflux of gastric contents was not observed during repeated attempts to stimulate vomiting. After termination of the occlusion of the cardia, reflux was able to be induced by 14 of the 16 volunteers. In 30 patients with an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration the cardia was blocked and anaesthesia was induced using a mask and manual ventilation without encountering any problems. The average time from loss of consciousness to tracheal intubation was 164 +/- 8 s. CONCLUSIONS. It is concluded from the present results, with further clinical studies pending, that the gastric balloon probe permits low-risk conventional induction sequence of anaesthesia in patients with an increased risk for pulmonary aspiration and that the device may also be safely used during the extubation phase.

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