Does Preoperative Gum Chewing Reduce Postoperative Sore Throat?

PURPOSE: There are numerous pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods that are used to manage postoperative sore throat (POST). The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of different types of herbal gums on POST management. DESIGN: A randomized controlled, blinded, prospective, experimental study. METHODS: This study was carried out between June and October 2023 in a research and training hospital. A total of 72 patients scheduled for cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to one of four groups in the preoperative period: control, mastic, xylitol, and propolis groups. No intervention was applied to the control group, while patients in the experimental groups chewed either mastic-flavored, xylitol, or propolis gum. Patients in the experimental groups chewed sugar-free gum for 15 minutes immediately before surgery. The incidence and severity of sore throat were evaluated upon admission to the postanesthesia recovery unit and at the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 24th hours postoperatively. Descriptive statistics, chi(2), Fisher's Exact, Independent samples t test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used in the analysis of the data. FINDINGS: There was no significant difference in POST severity between the groups at admission to the postanesthesia recovery unit and at the 1st, 6th, and 24th hours postoperatively. However, the rate (P: .007) and the median POST score (P: .046) in the propolis group were significantly lower than that of the other groups at the 2 hours postoperatively. Additionally, throat dryness in the propolis group was significantly lower at the first (P: .046) and second (P: .023) hour after surgery compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative chewing sugar-free gum containing propolis effectively reduces sore throat and throat dryness within the first 2 hours after surgery.