Effect of ketamine nebulization on post-operative sore throat after general anaesthesia.

General anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation results in postoperative sore throat. We studied the effectiveness of nebulization with ketamine which is a NMDA receptor antagonist, on the incidence and severity of sore throat in patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. Institutional ethical committee approval obtained. 100 consenting patients scheduled for middle ear surgeries were randomly allocated to two groups of 50 each to receive 50mg of Ketamine or saline nebulization 15 minutes before the induction. Sore throat was less in 0, 2, 4, and 6hrs (p<0.02). Ketamine nebulization before intubation reduces incidence and severity of sore throat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]