RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF INTRAVENOUS DEXAMETHASONE VERSUS BECLOMETHASONE INHALER TO REDUCE POSTOPERATIVE SORE THROAT DUE TO INTUBATION DURING CATARACT SURGERY

Introduction Postoperative sore throat is among the common consequences of tracheal intubation during surgical operations that is reported for up to 90% of the cases. This research aims to examine the effects of Beclomethasone inhaler versus intravenous Dexamethasone in reducing the sore throat after a tracheal intubation operation. Material and methods To conduct this trial 99 patients with an age range of 60 to 65 years who were about to undergo a cataract surgery were included. These subjects were randomly placed into three different groups; the first and second groups received beclomethasone inhaler and intravenous Dexamethasone respectively while the third one was considered as a control group. The medicine was prescribed for the patients before the induction stage of general anesthesia. Moreover, during the recovery phase and while the patients were fully conscious, the examinations were carried out by a doctor 15 hours after the surgery. Finally, a physician asked the questions from the patients face to face. Results in the Beclomethasone recipient group, 6% of patients experienced premature sore throat while 64% of them experienced serotinous sore throat. In the group of Dexamethasone recipients, 39% of the patients were reported having premature throat ache and 73% experienced serotinous throat sore. Finally, In the control group, 24% of the patients experienced a premature sore throat (during the recovery) while 76% experienced a different serotinous sore throat (15 hours after the operation). The levels of Dysphonia in the Beclomethasone recipient was significantly lower than those of the other two groups. Conclusion The results reveal that considering the local consumption and also the low systemic side effects involved applying Beclomethasone inhaler, it can be applied as an effective solution to control a sore throat after tracheal intubation. However, it is advised to carry out further research and examination with a focus on younger age groups or a specific gender. Key words: postoperative sore throat, intubation, beclomethasone, dexamethasone