Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing CricOid Pressure and Para-laryngeal Pressure in Parturients Undergoing Cesarean Delivery: NiCOP Trial

( Int J Obstet Anesth . 2024;59:103997. doi: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2024.103997) General anesthesia (GA), though in many instances necessary, can have several complications, including aspiration of gastric contents. Certain populations, including parturients at term, are more at risk for this complication, which makes GA for cesarean delivery (CD) more risky than other forms of anesthesia. Current guidelines recommend cricoid pressure to prevent aspiration during rapid sequence intubation in the obstetric population, however, this method is controversial in terms of effectiveness. This study was designed to test ultrasound (US)-guided para-laryngeal force compared to cricoid pressure in occluding the esophageal opening during cesarean delivery with GA.