Conditions of Diagnostic Panendoscopy of the Upper Airway Under Propofol Remifentanil General Anesthesia

Evaluation of the Impact of Adding Remifentanil to Propofol on the Conditions of the Diagnostic Panendoscopy of the Upper Airway Under General Anesthesia With Tubeless Spontaneous Ventilation.

The most important considerations for the general anesthesia in diagnostic panendoscopy of the upper airway is the maintenance of a patient's airway for optimal surgical exposure, adequate ventilation and sufficient depth of anesthesia. Tubeless anesthestic techniques with preserved spontaneous ventilation and total intravenous administration of anesthetic drugs are widely use. Due to its pharmacological profile, propofol anesthesia is often considered as the gold standard for the anesthesia in the diagnostic panendoscopy. Previous studies suggested that adding remifentanil to propofol could improve the conditions for laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation.

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of propofol remifentanil general anesthesia compared to propofol general anesthesia on the conditions of the diagnostic panendoscopy of the upper airway.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Elective diagnostic panendoscopy of the upper airway
• Age > 18 and < 80 years old
• American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score equal to 1, 2, or 3 with a stable condition
• Written inform consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Age < 18 years old or inability to give informed consent
• Known anaphylaxis to remifentanil or propofol
• Long term opioid use, drug abuse
• Predictive criterion of impossible mask ventilation or intubation
• Chronic respiratory failure requiring oxygen therapy