Among the minor discomforts that occur as a result of intubation in the course of general anesthesia, sore throat was studied regarding its frequency and caual factors.
Because of today´s equipment and technique, endotracheal intubation has been greatly improved. Therefore, the incidence of postoperative sore throat has gradually been considerably reduced. Since surgical mortality was reduced strikingly in recent years, minor discomforts have been more important to the patients and anesthesiologists than before.
We have studied sore throat in 239 cases of general anesthesia patients who have been operated in Severance Hospital between August 1, 1975 and September 30, 1975. and from April 1 to April 30, 1977.
The results are as follows;
1. The incidence of sore throat after intubation in the course of general anesthesia was 20.3%, and female patients complained more of sore throat than male patients.
2. The incidence of sore throat increased according to the following conditions:
a) When the muscle relaxation was poorer,
b) When more attempts at intubation were needed,
c) When larger tube sizes were used.
3. There was no significant difference in the incidence of sore throat between the rubber and the plastic tubes and no significant correlation between the incidence ef sore throat and either the hours of intubation or the patient´s physical condition.
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