Effects on Postoperative Sore Throats of Two Analgesic Agents and Lubricants Used with Endotracheal Tubes

Abstract

Endotracheal tubes used in a series of 1,025 surgical patients were coated with nothing, controls, a heavy viscous base, a heavy base containing 5% lidocaine, a light foamy base, a foamy base with 1% pramoxine. Each group contained about 200 patients. The incidence of postoperative sore throats was nearly the same in groups 1, 2, 4, and 5 as in the controls. It was significantly less (P = 0.001) in group 3, where the tube had been lubricated with a heavy base containing 1% lidocaine.