After endotracheal intubation for a general anesthetic, it is not uncommon for patients to report a sore throat in the recovery area. Although it’s usually self-limited, small details in airway management can often shape a patient’s overall satisfaction with their perioperative care.
In appropriate patients, I will downsize the endotracheal tube and lubricate it with lidocaine jelly prior to placement, and I will inflate the pilot balloon with IV lidocaine to minimize mucosal trauma, reduce irritation, and make emergence a little smoother.
Lubricating And Downsizing Endotracheal Tubes
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2 responses to “Lubricating And Downsizing Endotracheal Tubes”
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What is the purpose of inflating the ETT cuff balloon with IV lidocaine?
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There’s data supporting the use of endotracheal cuff lidocaine (alkalinized and regular) to help with post-operative sore throat. Here’s a meta-analysis that reviews some of the studies I’m referring to: link to article
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