[Severe aspiration pneumonia with the laryngeal mask]

The anaesthesia management of a 10-year old girl with a fracture to her distal arm is presented, using inhalational anaesthesia with a laryngeal mask and a supplementary axillary plexus block. Due to light anaesthesia the patient vomited during the course of surgery resulting in a severe pulmonary aspiration necessitating four days of mechanical ventilation in the ICU. The safety of the laryngeal mask airway for emergency surgery is discussed.