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Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a common complication after endotracheal intubation. We compared the effectiveness on POST of spraying the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff with benzydamine hydrochloride, 10% lidocaine, and 2% lidocaine., Methods: Three hundred seventy-two patients were randomly allocated into 4 groups. The ETT cuffs in each group were sprayed with benzydamine hydrochloride, 10% lidocaine hydrochloride, 2% lidocaine hydrochloride, or normal saline before endotracheal intubation. After insertion, the cuffs were inflated to an airway leak pressure of 20 cm H(2)O. Anesthesia was maintained with propofol. The patients were examined for sore throat (none, mild, moderate, or severe) at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after extubation., Results: The highest incidence of POST occurred at 6 hours after extubation in all groups. There was a significantly lower incidence of POST in the benzydamine group than 10% lidocaine, 2% lidocaine, and normal saline groups (P < 0.05) at each observation time point. At 6 hours after extubation, the incidence of POST was significantly lower in the benzydamine group (17.0%) compared with 10% lidocaine (53.7%), 2% lidocaine (37.0%), and normal saline (40.8%) groups (P < 0.05). The benzydamine group had significantly decreased severity of POST compared with the 10% lidocaine, 2% lidocaine, and normal saline groups (P < 0.05) at each observation time point. Compared with the 2% lidocaine and normal saline groups, the 10% lidocaine group had significantly increased severity of POST at 1, 6, and 12 hours after extubation. There were no significant differences among groups in local or systemic side effects., Conclusions: Spraying benzydamine hydrochloride on the ETT cuff is a simple and effective method to reduce the incidence and severity of POST.

Background: The etiology of postoperative sore throat (POST) is considered to be the result of laryngoscopy, intubation damage, or inflated cuff compression of the tracheal mucosa. In this study, we compared the effectiveness in alleviating POST using different approaches to benzydamine hydrochloride (BH) administration by spraying the endotracheal tube (ET) cuff or the oropharyngeal cavity, or both., Methods: Three hundred eighty patients were included in this prospective and double-blind study, which was randomized into 4 groups: group A, oropharyngeal cavity spray of BH, and distilled water on the ET cuff; group B, both the oropharyngeal cavity and the ET cuff received BH spray; group C, the ET cuff received BH spray, and the oropharyngeal cavity received distilled water; and group D, distilled water sprayed on both the ET tube and into the oropharyngeal cavity. The patients were examined for sore throat (none, mild, moderate, severe) at 0, 2, 4, and 24 hours postextubation., Results: The incidence of POST was 23.2%, 13.8%, 14.7%, and 40.4% in groups A, B, C, and D, respectively. POST occurred significantly less frequently in groups B and C compared with group D (odds ratio: 0.36; 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.60; P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between groups A and D (odds ratio: 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.38-1.01). Moreover, there was no significant interaction between spraying BH over the oropharyngeal cavity and the ET cuff on the incidence of POST (P = 0.088). The severity of POST was significantly more intense in group D compared with groups B and C (P < 0.001). Group B had a significantly higher incidence of local numbness, burning, and/or stinging sensation compared with patients in group D (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: This study indicates that spraying BH on the ET cuff decreases the incidence and severity of POST without increased BH-related adverse effects.