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Hoarseness after tracheal intubation
Author(s) -
JONES M. W.,
CATLING S.,
EVANS E.,
GREEN D. H.,
GREEN J. R.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1992.tb02121.x
Subject(s) - medicine , intubation , incidence (geometry) , anesthesia , tracheal intubation , general anaesthesia , prospective cohort study , surgery , complication , physics , optics
Summary The reported incidence of hoarseness following short‐term tracheal intubation varies widely. It has been reported as being permanent in 3%. This suggests that an enormous problem exists considering the numbers of patients intubated daily in the United Kingdom. A prospective study of 235 adult patients undergoing general anaesthesia in a district general hospital included 167 patients whose tracheas were intubated. Of these 167, 54 (32%) complained of hoarseness postoperatively. All but five returned to normal within 7 days. The others were hoarse for 9, 10, 12, 54 and 99 days. Those who were hoarse for 54 and 99 days had vocal cord granulomata. Regression analyses showed that certain patient and anaesthetic factors had a significant effect on the hoarseness. This study confirms a low incidence of prolonged or permanent hoarseness following short‐term tracheal intubation.