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Evidence summaries

Lidocaine for Preventing Postoperative Sore Throat

Lidocaine appears to be effective in the prevention of postoperative sore throat resulting from intubation. There is insufficient evidence of the potential adverse effects. Level of evidence: "B"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 19 studies with a total of 1940 subjects. 952 patients received topical or systemic lidocaine therapy and 795 patients were allocated to the control group. Both the topical and systemic lidocaine therapy significantly reduced the risk of postoperative sore throat (RR 0.64; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.85), although when only high-quality trials were included (eight studies, 814 participants) the effect was no longer significant (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.09). Lidocaine given systemically in two studies (320 participants) did not reveal evidence of an effect (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.05 ). The severity of sore throat as measured on a visual-analogue scale (VAS) was reduced by lidocaine therapy (six trials, 611 participants, (mean difference (MD) -10.80, 95% CI -14.63 to -6.98).

Comment: The evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment and blinding).

    References

    • Tanaka Y, Nakayama T, Nishimori M et al. Lidocaine for preventing postoperative sore throat. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;(7):CD004081. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords