Comparison between lignocaine 2% gel and water-based lubricant in reducing post intubation sore throat

Introduction: Sore throat following tracheal intubation is a common postoperative complaint with a reported incidence of up to 90%. We performed a prospective randomised doubleblind clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of lignocaine 2% gel with waterbased lubricant (KY Jelly) in reducing post� intubation sore throat. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty one patients with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation were enrolled into this study. Cuffed endotracheal tubes were lu� bricated with either lignocaine 2% (Group A) or a waterbased lubricant (Group B). Patients were as� sessed at three intervals (1, 12, and 24 h after surgery) by a blinded investigator for presence of sore throat, severity of sore throat and throat related complaints. Results: Significantly larger number of patients in Group A complained of throat dryness at 1 h ( p=0.035) and sore throat at 12 h ( p=0.001). Incidences of sore throat and throat related complaints were comparable at other time intervals. No differences in severity of sore throat were observed, and none of the patients required further treat� ment. Conclusion: Lignocaine 2% gel was not effective in reducing postintubation sore throat in com� parison with waterbased lubricant.