Does prewarming of i-gel improve insertion and ventilation in anaesthetised and paralysed patients? A prospective, randomised, control trial

CONTEXT: I-gel are supraglottic airway devices with non-inflatable gel-like cuff that is believed to mould to body temperature, to seal the airway. Hence a pre-warmed i-gel may seal faster, provide better ventilation and superior leak pressure. AIMS: To determine if pre-warming i-gel to 40°C improves insertion and efficacy of ventilation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A prospective, randomised, controlled trial was done on 64 patients requiring anaesthesia with muscle relaxation for short duration. For those in group W, i-gel warmed to 40°C for 15 minutes before insertion was used, whereas for those in group C, i-gel kept at room temperature (approximately 23°C) was used. The airway sealing pressure over time, number of attempts and time taken for a successful insertion were noted. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Mean sealing pressure between two groups was compared using independent sample t-test. Repeated Measures ANOVA was used to analyse mean sealing pressure at 0, 15 and 30 min. P value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Sealing pressure improves over time in both the groups but the mean sealing pressure was higher in group C when compared to group W at all points of time, however this was clinically and statistically insignificant. Ease of insertion, time for successful insertion, insertion attempts, intra-operative manoeuvres were all comparable between the groups with no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-warming of i-gel to 40°C does not improve the success rate of insertion or provide a higher sealing pressure in anaesthetised and paralysed patients when compared to i-gel at room temperature.