Background: Postoperative sore throat is common after general anesthesia. The incidence in pediatric anesthesia is variable, and the etiology unclear. Establishing risk factors would enable prevention and could improve quality of care. Aims: We performed a prospective single center cohort study aiming to establish the incidence of postoperative sore throat in children undergoing GA with an endotracheal tube (ETT) or laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Secondary aims were to identify independent risk factors for sore throat and the incidence of other postoperative complications including stridor, laryngospasm, nausea and vomiting. Methods: Between November 2018 and April 2019, perioperative data were collected from children aged 5–16 years undergoing general plastic, urology, renal and orthopedic surgery. Patients completed all postoperative questionnaire within 24 hours of surgery. Results: We screened 256 children for inclusion at a tertiary pediatric hospital in the United Kingdom. One hundred and ninety-seven patients were included in the final analysis. The frequency of postoperative sore throat was 35.8%. Stridor occurred in 1.7%, laryngospasm 1% postoperative vomiting in 4.0%. Nausea, vomiting, thirst and pain were associated with a sore throat. Over 50% of children with an endotracheal tube cuff pressure <20 cm H 2O had a postoperative sore throat.

Keywords: Incidence; Sore Throat; Endotracheal Tube; Laryngeal Mask Airway