The use of Preoperative Lidocaine to Prevent Stridor and Laryngospasm after Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy

Abstract

The most important complications from tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are bleeding, stridor, and laryngospasm. This controlled, double-blind study was designed to investigate the effects of topical and intravenous lidocaine on stridor and laryngospasm. A total of 134 patients scheduled for elective tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy were randomly separated into four groups. In the topical lidocaine group 4 mg/kg of 2% lidocaine was applied to subglottic, glottic, and supraglottic areas before endotracheal intubation. Normal saline solution was used topically for the first control group. In the intravenous lidocaine group, patients were given 1 mg/kg of 2% lidocaine before extubation, and the same amount of 0.9% NaCl was given to the second control group. Postoperative stridor, laryngospasm, cyanosis, bleeding, sedation degree, and respiratory depression were observed, and plasma lidocaine levels were measured. Both topical and intravenous lidocaine groups revealed less stridor and laryngospasm than the control groups, and no difference was found between the topical and intravenous lidocaine groups except the higher sedation scores in the early postoperative period for the intravenous lidocaine group. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:880–2.)