Effect of endotracheal tube cuff pressure on postoperative sore throat in laparoscopic surgeries

The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of postoperative sore throat, hoarseness, and cough after inflating the cuff using a manometer versus the traditional syringe-assisted cuff inflation method.

This study involved 56 patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status (PS) classification system I and II undergoing elective laparoscopic surgeries under general anaesthesia. After obtaining ethics committee approval and informed consent, the patients were divided into two groups. In group A, cuff pressure was set to 25 cmH₂O using a Portex^® cuff inflator. In group B, the cuff was inflated with room air using a 10-ml syringe; adequacy was assessed by palpation and auscultation. Postoperatively, the patients were monitored for sore throat, hoarseness, and cough, graded using the Harding and McVey scoring system.

The incidence of sore throat in the cuff manometer group was higher than in the syringe group at zero hour, possibly due to various factors. However, over time, the manometer group had more patients reporting no sore throat. A notable statistical and clinical difference was found between groups in sore throat and hoarseness. No statistical difference in cough was observed.

Continuous cuff pressure monitoring during surgery reduces postoperative sore throat and hoarseness.