Evaluation of Lateral Head Rotation on Eficacy of Face Mask Ventilation during Induction of Anesthesia in Children

Background: The head's position during mask ventilation on the time of anesthesia induction in children may improve the lung ventilation. Aim: Current study was designed to verify whether lateral head rotation improves face mask ventilation efficiency during anesthesia induction in children. Methods: Fifty-six patients aged 1-4 years, candidate for elective surgery, were randomly divided into two equal groups. During induction of general anesthesia, face mask lung ventilation of patients continued with pressure-controlled mode, at a peak pressure level of 10 cmH2O for children 13-24 months and 14cmH20 for children 24-48 month. In patients in the N group, the head position during ventilation was initially in the neutral position for one minute, then the head was axially rotated 45-degree to the right position for one minute and pulmonary ventilation continued in this position, then the head was rotated again to the neutral position and ventilation continued for one minute. In group R patients, mode and time of ventilation was the same, but the order of head placement was first in the lateral rotated to the right, then neutral and then lateral rotated to the right. The primary outcome was the measurement of expiratory tidal volume in each position. Results: Generally, the mean measured expiratory tidal volume did not change in the neutral position compared to laterally rotated head position, 256.6 vs. 233.5 ml: difference -23.1 [95% confidence interval: 10.8 to 39.4 ml]. Also, the change of head position from lateral to neutral position did not show a significant change in the mean expiratory tidal volume, 232.28 vs.247.86 ml: difference -15 .82 (p= 0.4). Conclusion: The rotation of the head to the lateral position during induction of anesthesia in apnoeic children 1-4 years old could not improve the efficiency of mask ventilation relative to the neutral head position.