Does benzydamine hydrochloride applied preemptively reduce sore throat due to laryngeal mask airway?

Sore throat is a common postoperative complaint. We investigated whether preemptive benzydamine hydrochloride (BH) treatment could prevent sore throat due to a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) cuff inflated with air. One-hundred ASA status I-II patients who underwent general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups. In the first group, four puffs of BH were applied to the pharynx 30 min before the operation and 5 min before the induction of anesthesia. Distilled water with a similar bottle was applied with the same protocol in the second group. Anesthetic induction was provided with propofol and fentanyl. The pressure of the LMA cuff inflated with room air was measured after the first adjustment and after 30, 60, and 90 min of inflation in both groups. At the end of operation, the LMA was removed after the recovery of spontaneous breathing. After the operation, patients were asked about sore throat symptoms at the first, second, and fourth hours. There were no significant differences between groups for cuff pressures, cuff volumes, analgesic doses, or operation times. However, sore throat symptoms were significantly less severe for the BH group during both resting and swallowing. In conclusion, preemptive topical BH may decrease the incidence of sore throat due to LMA use.