Your next patient is scheduled for laparoscopic abdominal hysterectomy. She recalls having a severe sore throat after her last surgery and asks if there is any way to prevent it this time. According to a recent study evaluating the use of smaller diameter tracheal tubes for the prevention of postoperative sore throat, which of the following outcomes is MOST likely if you use a 6.0-mm inner diameter tracheal tube instead of a 7.0-mm inner diameter tube in this patient?
Postoperative sore throat can impair recovery after surgery and is distressing to patients. Although smaller diameter tracheal tubes may decrease the rate or severity of postoperative sore throat, they increase resistance to airflow and may thus increase ventilation pressures and potentially impair ventilation.
A recent randomized clinical trial evaluated the effects of smaller tracheal tubes on postoperative sore throat and ventilation variables using lower tidal volumes to limit airway pressures. Adult...
