The analgesic effect of EMLA cream on sore throat following tracheal intubation

Sore throat and hoarseness are the most common anaesthesia side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of EMLA cream on sore throat after intubation. Adult patients (105) with ASA I-II scores who had elective surgery were followed for throat complaints. There were 58 patients in the control group, and 47 patients in the EMLA group whose endotracheal tube cuffs were treated with 0.5 ml EMLA cream before intubation. Throat complaints (sore throat, hoarseness, burning sensation) were evaluated after the operations. Respectively, 55.1% and 31.9% of patients complained of sore throat in the control and EMLA groups. The difference between groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Hoarseness was significantly more frequent in the control group than in the EMLA group, and the burning sensation was more frequent in the EMLA group (p < 0.05). No correlation was observed between the duration of operations, the types of operations and the use of muscle relaxants with sore throat. We concluded that EMLA cream effectively and safely reduced the post-surgical incidence of sore throat and hoarsenes.