Aims and background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is an undesirable complaint after orotracheal intubation. Magnesium is a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist thought to be involved in the modulation of pain. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of preoperative administration of intravenous magnesium on POST.
Methods and Materials:Seventy two patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy surgery were randomly allocated into two groups. They either received saline (control) or 40 mg/kg magnesium intravenously after intubation in 30 minutes. Patients were assessed for incidence of POST and postoperative cough at recovery room postoperatively.
Findings: The incidence of POST during recovery state was higher in the control group than the magnesium group (P=0.04). The highest incidence of post operative cough occurred in the control group in recovery room after surgery (P=0.03). The highest stability of hemodynamics was seen in the magnesium group.
Conclusions: The administration of intravenous magnesium in 30 minute preoperatively after intubation is effective to reduce both incidence of POST and postoperative cough in the postoperative period in recovery.