Background: Sore throat is a common problem following general anesthesia and intubation. It has been found to correlate with increased endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure. In this study, we assessed the incidence and severity of sore throat in patients who had their ETT cuff pressure monitored and compared them with patients in whom the adequacy of cuff inflation was assessed only by clinical methods. Material and Methods: Forty-eight ASA I and II patients in the age group of 18-60 years, posted for faciomaxillary surgeries were randomly divided into two groups. In Group 1, the adequacy of inflation of
ETT cuff was checked by palpating the sternal notch and auscultating with a stethoscope to rule out leak. In Group 2, ETT cuff pressure was adjusted to 25 cm H2O using a cuff manometer. Postoperatively, sore throat was assessed using a 10 point scale at 1 hour, 6 hours and 24 hours of surgery. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of sore throat between the groups. The sore throat scores recorded after one hour of surgery were significantly higher in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (median score 4 in Group 1 vs 2 in Group 2, P=0.008). There was no statistically significant difference
in the sore throat scores recorded after 6 and 24 hours of surgery in both the groups. Conclusion: Endotracheal tube cuff pressure has to be routinely monitored and kept in the optimal range of 20-30 cm H 2O to minimize postoperative complications like sore throat.