2024, Vol. 7, Issue 4, Part B

Aim of the study: This study aimed to compare lidocaine's effectiveness with air and saline as a better cuff inflating agent.

Methods: This one-year prospective study at the Department of Anesthesiology, [Name] Medical College and Hospital, [location]Bangladesh included 144 patients undergoing abdominal surgeries under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: Group A with endotracheal tube (ETT) cuffs inflated with air, Group B with distilled water, and Group C with 2% lidocaine, each group containing 48 patients. Inclusion criteria included ASA 1 and ASA 2 patients aged 18-50 with surgeries lasting less than 5 hours. Exclusion criteria were difficult intubations, recent sore throat, smoking, or nasogastric tubes. Postoperative symptoms like sore throat and hoarseness were assessed at 1-3 and 22-24 hours. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and t-tests.

Results: In the study, the mean ages were similar across groups: Group A (45.83±6.88 years), Group B (44.52±7.25 years), and Group C (45.21±6.29 years). The sex ratio and body weight were comparable, with no significant differences (P>0.05). The ASA grade distribution was consistent across groups, indicating similar health statuses. Group A experienced higher sore throat incidence at 1-3 hours (62.5%) but not significantly. After 22-24 hours, Group C showed a significant decrease (4.17%, P<0.05). Group A had higher dysphasia (43.75%) and hoarseness (52.08%) initially, but Group C improved significantly by 22-24 hours, showing lower incidences (0%, P<0.05).

Conclusion: Lidocaine outperforms air and saline as an endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff inflating agent, significantly reducing postoperative sore throat, dysphagia, and hoarseness 22-24 hours after extubating. This study shows that lidocaine can enhance patient comfort and satisfaction, providing a simple, cost-effective way to improve post-surgical outcomes.