The Effects of Endotracheal Intubation or Laryngeal Mask Applications on Optic Nerve

In normal pediatric patients with closed fontanelles, the contents of the central nervous system are almost compressed into the skull and spinal canal. Intracranial pressure is created and constant by the total volume of brain, CSF, and blood within the skull. Increased intracranial pressure can be measured with an intraventricular catheter, transducers, and a subarachnoid bolt. By measuring the diameter of the optic nerve sheath with ultrasonography, we can find out whether there is an increase in intracranial pressure non-invasively.

Endotracheal intubation and laryngeal mask are generally applied to secure the airway during general anesthesia. There is a widespread opinion among anesthesiologists that endotracheal intubation increases intracranial pressure. Since there were no non-invasive methods measuring intracranial pressure in the past, adequate studies on this subject could not be done. With this measurement, we aimed to show whether ETT or LMA applications have effects on intracranial pressure.