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Postoperative sore throat in children and the laryngeal mask airway
W M Splinter1, B Smallman, E J Rhine
1Department of Anaesthesia, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Canada.
Insights
Postoperative sore throat in children is uncommon after anesthesia. Neither the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) nor the endotracheal tube (ETT) significantly affected the incidence or severity of sore throat in this study.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Postoperative sore throat is a common, albeit minor, complication following general anesthesia.
- Its multifactorial etiology necessitates investigation into airway management techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat in children when using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) versus an endotracheal tube (ETT).
Main Methods:
- A randomized, single-blind study involving 112 pediatric patients (ages 3-12) undergoing minor surgery.
- Patients received anesthesia via either LMA or ETT.
- Postoperative sore throat incidence and severity were assessed via parental report on the first postoperative day.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of sore throat was 9%, with no statistically significant difference between the LMA (13%) and ETT (5%) groups.
- All reported sore throats were mild in severity.
- Patient demographics and procedure duration were similar between groups.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative sore throat is infrequent and typically mild in children undergoing minor surgery.
- The choice between LMA and ETT does not appear to significantly impact the occurrence or severity of sore throat in this pediatric population.
Abstract:
Postoperative sore throat is a minor complaint after general anaesthesia of multifactorial aetiology. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and endotracheal tube (ETT) on postoperative sore throat in children. We hypothesized that the incidence of sore throat would be less after the use of the LMA. This was a randomized, single-blind study of 112 patients of age 3 to 12 yr undergoing minor peripheral surgery. The groups were similar, except that airway maintenance was either with an LMA or ETT. After induction of anaesthesia with O2, N2O and halothane, an LMA or ETT was inserted. Anaesthesia was maintained with O2, N2O and halothane. At the end of surgery, the ETT was removed in the operating room before airway reflexes had returned. The LMA was removed after the patient's airway reflexes had returned in the recovery room. On the first postoperative day, the parents were contacted and asked whether or not their child had had a sore throat. If a sore throat had been present, the parents rated the discomfort as mild, moderate or severe. The groups were similar with respect to age, weight, sex and duration of procedure. The overall incidence of sore throat was 9%. The difference between the groups (LMA 13% vs ETT 5%) was not statistically significant. All of the reported sore throats were rated as mild. In conclusion, postoperative sore throats after minor paediatric surgery is uncommon. If it does occur, it is mild and the incidence is unaffected by the choice of an LMA or ETT.