Prophylactic Effects of Lidocaine or Beclomethasone Spray on Post-Operative Sore Throat and Cough after Orotracheal Intubation

INTRODUCTION Post-operative sore throat and cough are common complications of endotracheal intubation. These conditions may be very distressing for the patient and may lead to unpleasant memories. This study was performed in order to determine whether beclomethasone and lidocaine spray could reduce the frequency of post-operative sore throat and hoarseness after tracheal extubation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety women (18-60 years of age) with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II and undergoing elective mastoidectomy were randomized into three groups of 30 patients. The endotracheal tubes in each group were sprayed with 50% beclomethasone, 10% lidocaine hydrochloride, or normal saline (control group) before endotracheal intubation. Patients were examined for sore throat (none, mild, moderate, or severe), cough, and hoarseness at 1 and 24 h after extubation. RESULTS There was a significantly lower incidence and severity of post-operative sore throat in the beclomethasone group than the lidocaine and control groups (P<0.05) at each observation time point. At 24 h after extubation, the incidence and severity of sore throat and cough was significantly lower in the lidocaine compared with the control group. The incidence of hoarseness was not significantly different among the three groups. CONCLUSION Spraying beclomethasone and lidocaine on the endotracheal tube is a simple and effective method to reduce the incidence and severity of post-operative sore throat.