Context: The most frequently reported symptoms following endotracheal intubation are sore throat and hoarseness. Excess endotracheal tube cuff pressure is a recognized cause of postoperative sore throat & tracheal injury. It is recommended to keep intracuff pressures within 20 – 30 cm of H2O & this can be easily done with an aneroid manometer. Cuff pressure measurement during anaesthesia is not widely practiced & is usually done with the ‘disappearance of leak by palpation’ method.
Aims: To evaluate whether intraoperative cuff pressure monitoring with a manometer is beneficial in reducing the incidence of POST as compared to the conventional disappearance of leak method and to detect over inflation if any by the later.
Methods and Material:
The study was carried out in two groups of 30 patients selected randomly, divided according to the method of cuff inflation.
- Group A (disappearance of leak method)
- Group B (manometry)
Patients were followed up for development of POST & its severity graded.
Statistical analysis tests used are: Chi Square Test. P value < 0.05 considered significant. SPSS version 11.5 was used.
Results: Both incidence & severity of incidence of POST were found to be higher in group A. (P value < 0.05)
Conclusions: It is necessary to monitor cuff pressure intraoperatively as it does help reduce incidence of POST