[Changes in arterial pressure and heart rate during laryngeal mask insertion in hypertensive patients: comparison with endotracheal intubation].

The pressor response associated with laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation may be harmful to patients with ischemic heart disease, hypertension or cerebrovascular disease. The Brain laryngeal mask airway can be inserted blindly and avoid the need for laryngoscopy. Our preliminary study compared the pressor response of tracheal intubation (T group) with that of laryngeal mask insertion (L group) in 19 and 33 hypertensive patients respectively. We also divided the patients of L group into sub-groups I (n = 16) and II (n = 17). All patients in T group and sub-group I were induced with fentanyl, thiopentone and succinylcholine while in subgroup II patients were induced with the same dosage of thiopentone and succinylcholine without fentanyl. The changes of blood pressure and heart rate exhibited a similar but attenuated pattern of response with laryngeal mask insertion in comparison with tracheal intubation. We also found no significant difference in pressor response between sub-group I and sub-group II in L group. In sum, laryngeal mask insertion may therefore offer some advantages over tracheal intubation in the anesthetic management of hypertensive patients in whom less pressor response is of particular concern.