Comparing the rate of complications of sore throat and hoarseness caused by ETI support method with LMA method in surgical patients under general anesthesia

Respiratory support during the patient's anesthesia is done in different ways, such as endotracheal intubation and laryngeal mask. Endotracheal intubation is inevitably used for respiratory support in general anesthesia patients. The use of alternative methods for respiratory support during the process of general anesthesia is one of the most significant ways to control anesthesia complications. The laryngeal mask is placed around the larynx to allow spontaneous and controlled ventilation. Both of the respiratory support methods can cause complications. The purpose of this study is to compare the side effects of sore throat and hoarseness caused by two methods in surgical patients.

This study was conducted in the period from September to November 2022 on patients who were referred and underwent surgery at Baqiyatallah Hospital. The study is a cohort study that was conducted retrospectively on 60 patients who underwent any surgery with two methods of anesthesia by ETI and LMA. In order to evaluate hoarseness, the standard Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10) questionnaire was used. In order to evaluate the complication of sore throat caused by the respiratory support method, a 4-point pain checklist was used for 24 hours and 14 days after the surgery.

The findings of our study showed that the average amount of sore throat 24 hours after surgery in the LMA and ETI groups was 2.13 and 2.2, respectively, and these values 14 days later were 1.17 and 1.07, respectively. The average level of hoarseness in the 24 hours after surgery in LMA and ETI groups was 2.66 and 3.13, respectively. The statistical comparison of the severity of side effects between the two groups showed that in the LMA method, the amount of sore throat and hoarseness is less than the ETI method, although this reduction does not have a significant difference.

The results of this study showed that the rate of complications of sore throat and hoarseness in the laryngeal mask group is reduced compared to the endotracheal intubation group, although this difference is not significant.