Nebulized lidocaine inhalation for strobolaryngoscopy

OBJECTIVE To study the surface anesthesia efficacy of nebulized lidocaine inhalationin strobolaryngoscopy. METHODS A prospective, randomized study was designed to compare the surface anesthesia efficacy of nebulized 2% lidocaine inhalation and 1% dicaine spray in strobolaryngoscopy. Two hundred and eighteen consecutive patients for initial strobolaryngoscopy were divided into nebulized 2% lidocaine inhalation surface anesthesia group (lidocaine group) and 1% dicaine spray surface anesthesia group(dicaine group) according to the order of the presentation of the patients. The degree of discomfort in anesthesia and strobolaryngoscopy were recorded by the patients using the Visual Analogue Score (VAS). RESULTS The degree of discomfort of the anesthesia and strobolaryngoscopy were 1.02±1.83 and 1.10±1.69 in lidocaine group, 0.61±1.67 and 1.66±2.63 in dicaine group respectively. There were no significant difference between the two group(P 0.05). For the 22 patients need do strobolaryngoscopy the second time, first time with dicaine spray and second time with lidocaine inhalation surface anesthesia, there were also no significant difference in degree of discomfort between the two times(P 0.05). CONCLUSION Nebulized 2% lidocaine inhalation is an easy, simple and reliable method of anesthesia for strobolaryngoscopy.