Comparison of gargles with aspirin versus magnesium sulphate for prevention of postoperative sore throat in patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy: A randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

Background and Aims: Incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat (POST) is expected to be higher after lumbar spinal surgery performed under general anesthesia in the prone position. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of preoperative gargles with aspirin and magnesium sulphate for prevention of POST after lumbar laminectomy. Material and Methods: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted on 60 adult American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I-III patients posted for lumbar laminectomy under general anesthesia. Patients, allocated into two groups of 30 patients each, received a solution of either aspirin 325 mg (Group A) or magnesium sulphate 1 g (Group B) dissolved in 20 ml of 5% dextrose to gargle for 30 s, 15 min before induction of anesthesia. Postoperatively, incidence, severity grade, and numeric rating scale (NRS) of POST were assessed at 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 h. Incidence and severity of postoperative cough were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 h. Results: Incidence and severity grade of POST were significantly lower in Group B as compared to Group A at 1 h (P = 0.01, 0.002), while these were similar at 2, 4, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. NRS for POST was significantly lower at 1, 2, and 4 h in Group B (P = 0.002, 0.035, 0.024), whereas it was comparable at 12 and 24 h. No significant difference was observed in incidence and severity of postoperative cough. Conclusion: Magnesium sulphate gargles are more effective than aspirin in preventing POST in the early hours of the postoperative period.