Efficacy of Intracuff Alkalinised Lignocaine Versus Normal Saline in Reducing Postoperative Sore Throat in Elective Surgery

Background: Postoperative sore throat is a common difficulty following general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation, often contributing to important patient discomfort.Alkalised lignocaine has been proposed as an effective strategy to mitigate this problem due to its enhanced mucosal penetration and prolonged anaesthetic effect.To compare the efficacy of intracuff alkalinised lignocaine versus normal saline in reducing the incidence and severity of POST in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia.Methods: This prospective, randomised, double-blinded study was conducted on 80 ASA I and II patients aged 18 years, scheduled for elective surgeries durnig the period of one year.Participants were casually assigned to two groups of 40 each: Group A received 2% lignocaine with 8.4% sodium bicarbonate for endotracheal tube cuff inflation, while Group B received normal saline.POST was evaluated at 0, 2, 12, and 24 hours post-extubation using a validated four-point scale.Data were analysed using appropriate statistical tests, with p<0.05 considered significant.Results: Demographic variables were comparable between groups.POST scores were significantly lower in Group A at 2 hours (1.720.45 vs. 1.900.48;p=0.033), 12 hours (0.900.40 vs. 1.650.52;p<0.001), and 24 hours (0.280.45 vs. 1.020.57;p<0.001) compared to Group B. No adverse effects were reported in either group. Conclusion:The study concludes that alkalinised lignocaine is significantly more effective than normal saline in reducing postoperative sore throat (POST) after endotracheal intubation.