Spot light on laryngeal mask airway in paediatric practice

Abstract

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is a novel device that fills the gap between tracheal intubation and use of the facemask. It can be inserted blindly into the pharynx, and may have a useful role in management of the difficult airway and resuscitation of the newborn (1} The LMA was designed by Dr. Archi Brain in 1981 (2). The similarity between paediatric and adult pharyngeal anatomy allowed scaled-down versions of the adult LMA to be developed (3). The laryngeal mask airway has become extremely popular worldwide among anaesthetists for control of the airway in wide variety of circumstances and it has become well established in paediatric practice ( 4).