According to recent prospective randomized study results issued in the January edition of 'Journal of Anesthesia', sore throat is less common in Sevoflurane treated patients undergoing orthopaedic lower extremity surgery as compared to Desflurane. The tracheal intubation for general anaesthesia leads to a postoperative sore throat. This study by Ji-Hoon Park aimed to investigate the effects of Sevoflurane and Desflurane on the prevalence of a postoperative sore throat in patients following general anaesthesia. A total of 96 patients scheduled for orthopaedic lower extremity surgery under general anaesthesia were designated to the sevoflurane group or desflurane group. The sevoflurane group had 48 patients who used Sevoflurane as a maintenance anaesthetic agent. The desflurane group too had 48 patients who used Desflurane. The analgesic requirements, the prevalence of sore throat and the number of patients with rescue analgesics were assessed.

Overall, the prevalence of postoperative sore throat in the sevoflurane group was lower than that in the desflurane group. The occurrence of a sore throat at postoperative 4 hours in the sevoflurane group was lower than that in the desflurane group. Also, the patients in the sevoflurane group required fewer rescue analgesics and diclofenac.