ABSTRACT
Background and purpose:Postoperative sore throat (POST) is one of the common complaints of patients after radical thyroidectomy. Tracheal intubation is the main cause of POST. This study compared the effect of intubation with visual endoscopy and general laryngoscope on POST in patients undergoing radical thyroidectomy. Methods:One hundred patients (18-60 years, ASAⅠ-Ⅱ) undergoing elective radical thyroidectomy were randomized into two groups:patients in group A (n=50) were intubated with visual endoscope while patients in group B (n=50) were intubated with general laryngoscope. Endotracheal tube cuffs pressure was maintained at 20mmHg in all patients. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Bruggrmann comfort scale (BCS) were recorded at the time points of 1, 6 and 24 h after extubation. Results:Compared with group B, the incidence of POST in group A was signifcantly reduced (42%vs 64%, P=0.027). The VAS of group A was lower than that of group B (3.05±1.56 vs 4.25±1.30, 3.05±1.56 vs 4.01±1.98, 2.72±1.77 vs 3.31±1.12) (P<0.05). The BCS of group A was higher than that of group B (0.99±0.46 vs 0.69±0.30, 1.95±0.47 vs 1.51±0.58, 2.82±0.87 vs 2.31±0.72) (P<0.05). Conclusion:Using visual endoscopic intubation can reduce the incidence of the POST in patients undergoing radical thyroidectomy.