Abstract

GRUNBERG, Gustavo  and  MARTINEZ, Gloria. DETERMINACIÓN DEL RIESGO DE DESARROLLO DE SINDROME DE MENDELSON EN CIRUGÍA DE COORDINACIÓN. Anest Analg Reanim [online]. 2004, vol.19, n.2, pp.4-9. ISSN 1688-1273.

Pulmonary aspiration is still one of the most important concerns for the anesthesiologist. The "critical risk values" of aspirate to cause Mendelson's Syndrome are a gastric pH smaller than 2.5 and a gastric volume greater than 25 ml. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determinate the number of patients at risk of Mendelson's Syndrome in elective surgery. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted of a sample of 22 patients scheduled for elective surgery, without gastro-duodenal pathology, and who were not receiving drugs with gastrointestinal effect. After tracheal intubation an orogastric tube was placed and it was extracted the maximum gastric content possible to measure pH and volume RESULTS: Gastric volume and pH were measured in 16 patients. Mean fasting time was 12.9 hours ± 2.4 hours (mean ± SD). Mean pH value was 2.40 ± 2.01 (men 2.20 ± 2.16, and women 2.66 ± 1.94). In 13 patients (81.3%) pH was smaller than 2.5 (8 men and 5 women). Average volume was 27.9 ml ± 23.2 ml (men 30.3 ml ± 30.2, and women 24.7 ml ± 10.5 ml). Seven patients (43.8%) presented a gastric volume greater than 25 ml (5 men and 2 women). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that there was a high number of patients with gastric content with a pH smaller than 2.5 and a volume greater than 25 ml, and therefore with elevated risk in case of pulmonary aspiration to develop a Mendelson Syndrome.

Keywords : Mendelson Syndrome; pulmonary aspiration; anesthesia.

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