The Beneficial Effect of Laryngeal Mask Airway on Cough Incidence: A Re-analysis

jpedsurg.org

The meta-analysis by Yang et al. [1] compared the use of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) versus endotracheal tube (ETT) in pediatric patients undergoing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. They found that LMA use was associated with a lower incidence of cough than ETT use, based on pooled data from five trials including 402 patients [1]. This finding suggests that LMA may reduce this minor adverse event. However, we noticed that for the largest included study by Turk et al., with 148 patients (36.8% of the total sample size), the effect size for cough incidence could not be estimated.

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Article · Jun 2024 · 1 min read

In brief

This correspondence critiques a meta-analysis comparing laryngeal mask airway (LMA) versus endotracheal tube (ETT) in pediatric laparoscopic hernia repair, specifically addressing cough incidence outcomes. The authors identify a methodological concern regarding effect size estimation in the largest included study, which comprised over one-third of the total patient sample.

LMA use reduces cough incidence vs ETT in pediatric laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair based on meta-analysis of 402 patients.
The largest included study (148 patients, 36.8% of sample) had unmeasurable effect size for cough incidence—a methodological limitation.
LMA may offer advantage in minimizing minor perioperative airway complications in select pediatric surgical populations.

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