Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2010; 16(27): 3418-3422
Published online Jul 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i27.3418
Double balloon enteroscopy examinations in general anesthesia
Laszlo Zubek, Lena Szabo, Peter Laszlo Lakatos, Janos Papp, Janos Gal, Gabor Elo
Laszlo Zubek, Janos Gal, Gabor Elo, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest 1125, Hungary
Lena Szabo, 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, Budapest 1094, Hungary
Peter Laszlo Lakatos, Janos Papp, 1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest 1083, Hungary
Author contributions: Zubek L and Elo G designed the study; Zubek L, Elo G, Lakatos PL, Papp J and Gal J performed the research; Zubek L and Szabo L analyzed the data; Zubek L, Szabo L and Elo G wrote the manuscript; Lakatos PL, Papp J and Gal J revised the manuscript; all authors have approved the final draft submitted.
Correspondence to: Laszlo Zubek, MD, LD, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Semmelweis University, Kutvolgyi str 4, H-1125 Budapest, Hungary. lzubek@freemail.hu
Telephone: +36-1-3251236 Fax: +36-1-3251148
Received: March 26, 2010
Revised: April 26, 2010
Accepted: May 3, 2010
Published online: July 21, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To demonstrate that the double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) can be safely performed in general anesthesia with intubation.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective examination between August 2005 and November 2008 among patients receiving intubation narcosis due to DBE examination. The patients were grouped based on sex, age and physical status. Anesthesia records included duration of anesthesia, quantity of medication used and anesthesia-related complications. We determined the frequency of complications in the different groups and their relation with the quantity of medication used and the duration of anesthesia.

RESULTS: We compiled data for 108 cases of general anesthesia with intubation. We did not observe any permanent anesthesia-related complications; the most frequent side effects of anesthesia were hypotension (30.55%), desaturation (21.29%), and apnea (17.59%). These complications were significantly more frequent among patients with multiple additional diseases [hypotension (23.1% vs 76.9%, P = 0.005), de-saturation (12.3% vs 69.2%, P < 0.001) and apnea (7.7% vs 53.8%, P = 0.001)], however, their incidence was not proportional to the quantity of medication used or the duration of anesthesia.

CONCLUSION: General anesthesia with intubation is definitely a viable option among DBE methods. It is highly recommended in patients with multiple additional diseases.

Keywords: Double balloon enteroscopy, General anesthesia, Intubation, Sedation, Patient autonomy