Anesthesia & Analgesia, Vol 80, 378-383, Copyright © 1995 by International Anesthesia Research Society
Can pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents be prevented by balloon occlusion of the cardia? A study with a new nasogastric tube
N Roewer
Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia and the application of cricoid
pressure are the two most common maneuvers performed when patients
requiring general anesthesia are at risk of pulmonary aspiration. However,
these procedures are quite elaborate and entail risks and dangers in
themselves. A new disposable nasogastric balloon tube was developed to
prevent the reflux of gastric contents by blocking the cardia with a
balloon. The effectiveness of this tube was investigated in animals and
healthy volunteers. In addition, we describe the initial experience with
the tube during ventilation via a mask in patients with an increased risk
of aspiration. Twelve pigs with a blocked cardia did not show any
gastroesophageal reflux under six different procedures to provoke vomiting
and regurgitation (gastric fluid filling with different volumes, head-down
positioning, drug-induced vomiting, external gastric compression before and
after surgical ligation of the pyloric orifice), whereas 37 of 48
provocation maneuvers led to a reflux in eight additional pigs with an
unblocked cardia. In 26 test subjects with a blocked cardia, reflux of
gastric contents was not observed when vomiting was provoked. After
elimination of the cardia blockade, a reflux could be triggered in 24 of
the 26 subjects. Among 42 patients in danger of aspiration, anesthesia
could be induced without any problems using a nasogastric balloon tube with
ventilation via a mask. The present experimental findings in animals and
test subjects show that the nasogastric balloon tube can prevent
gastroesophageal reflux under provocation of vomiting and
regurgitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)