Cold Vapor for Postoperative Sore Throat and Dysphagia Following Suspension Laryngoscopy: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: The postoperative symptoms of sore throat and dysphagia are common after suspension laryngoscopy and contribute to patient dissatisfaction. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of cold vapor on sore throat and dysphagia in the early postoperative period after suspension laryngoscopy.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

The study was conducted with 62 patients (31 intervention and 31 control) undergoing suspension laryngoscopy. Cold vapor was applied to the experimental group for 15 minutes in the postanesthesia care unit. The patients were evaluated in terms of sore throat and dysphagia at 0 and 30 minutes in the postanesthesia care unit and at 6, 12, and 24 hours after the cold vapor application in the postoperative service.

FINDINGS: The incidence of postoperative sore throat and dysphagia was 51.6% and 51.6% in the experimental group and 80.6% and 83.8% in the control group. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of sore throat and dysphagia at 30 minutes, 12 hours, and 24 hours postoperatively. The postoperative sore throat and dysphagia scores of the patients in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the patients in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative cold vapor application, which is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable nonpharmacological method, was found to reduce the severity of sore throat and dysphagia. Thus, it can be used after suspension laryngoscopy. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results.