Postoperative sore throat: prophylaxis and treatment

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a frequent complication following general anesthesia, with reported incidences up to 60%.
• POST can negatively impact patient satisfaction and increase healthcare costs.
• Factors contributing to POST include difficult or traumatic intubation, with stylet use potentially causing tracheal mucosal injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current strategies for preventing and treating POST.
• To explore emerging techniques aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of POST.
• To evaluate the potential of novel intubation methods in managing POST.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on POST management.
• Analysis of pharmacological interventions, including corticosteroids, NSAIDs, and NMDA receptor antagonists.
• Evaluation of advancements in intubation devices, such as video-laryngoscopes (VL).

Main Results:

• While VL improves glottic visualization and intubation success, POST incidence remains high.
• Pharmacological treatments aim to prevent, ameliorate, or treat POST symptoms.
• A novel endotracheal tube (ETT) 180° rotation technique is proposed to mitigate stylet-related injury.

Conclusions:

• Despite technological advances, effective reduction of POST remains a challenge.
• The ETT 180° rotation technique shows promise but requires clinical validation.
• Further research is essential to determine the efficacy of new intubation methods in reducing POST.