Effect of steroid-soaked throat pack on postoperative throat complications following major oral and maxillofacial surgery

Abstract

Background: Postoperative throat complications (POTCs) are common and distressing to patients; consensus on their optimum treatment is unclear. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of a steroid-soaked throat pack on POTCs following oral and maxillofacial surgery. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, triple-blinded, controlled clinical study design on all consecutive patients who had endotracheal intubation and pharyngeal throat packs following major oral and maxillofacial surgery. They were randomized into experimental (steroid) and control (normal saline) groups. The experimental group had their throat packs soaked with 10 ml aqueous solution of 100 mg hydrocortisone, while the control group had their throat pack soaked with 10 ml of 0.9% normal saline. The data were clinicodemographic, type of throat pack, postoperative sore throat, dysphagia, hoarseness, and cough. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: A total of 48 patients comprising 24 in each group participated fully in the study. The mean age and the age range of the participants were 37.3 ± 15.6 years and 18–65 years, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the demographic and surgical characteristics studied (P > 0.05). There was a significantly higher prevalence of postoperative sore throat and dysphagia among the normal saline group compared to the steroid group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of postoperative cough and hoarseness between the steroid and normal saline groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The use of a steroid-soaked throat pack was found to be more efficacious in the reduction of the prevalence of postoperative sore throat and dysphagia but did not affect the prevalence of postoperative cough and hoarseness among patients that had major oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.