Gastric Ultrasonography

This study aims to compare the gastric volumes of pediatric patients undergoing positive-pressure ventilation with different airway management techniques. Gastric ultrasound is a non-invasive bedside tool with high sensitivity and specificity for determining the nature and amount of gastric content. In pediatric cases, maintaining a gastric volume below 1.25 mL/kg is associated with a lower risk of perioperative aspiration. Although supraglottic airway devices (SADs) are commonly used as alternatives to endotracheal tubes, concerns regarding the potential for gastric insufflation and subsequent aspiration persist. Second-generation SADs were specifically designed with gastric drainage channels to mitigate the risk of regurgitation compared to first-generation devices. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether there is a difference in gastric volumes, as measured by ultrasound, among three groups of pediatric patients: those managed with endotracheal tubes, first-generation SADs, and second-generation SADs. By comparing these measurements post-ventilation, the investigators aim to evaluate the impact of the airway device choice on gastric volume under clinical conditions.