Magnitude and factors associated with postoperative sore throat among adults after general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Postoperative sore throat is a common, unpleasant, and upsetting complication of tracheal intubation that increases postoperative morbidity and causes patient dissatisfaction after general anesthesia. Objective: To determine the magnitude and factors associated with postoperative sore throat among adults after general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2026. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a Google sheet. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 267 study participants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 software was used for analysis. Data exploration and an overall model fitness test were conducted by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Bivariate logistic regression was carried out to see the association of each independent variable with the outcome variable. Then, for those variables having a p-value less than 0.25, the multivariable logistic regression method was used. P-values of < 0.05 and a 95% confidence level were used as a difference of statistical significance. Result: A total of 267 adult surgical patients were included in this study. The overall prevalence of postoperative sore throat (POST) within 24 hours after surgery was 45.3%. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, intubation duration greater than two hours (AOR = 3.47; 95% CI: 1.54–7.80), two or more intubation attempts (AOR = 3.43; 95% CI: 1.34–8.80), use of endotracheal tube (ETT) size > 7.0 mm (AOR = 3.31; 95% CI: 1.09–10.07), and presence of visible blood on airway equipment (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.21–4.61) were independently associated with POST Conclusion: Postoperative sore throat affects 45.3% of adult surgical patients at St. Paul's. Hospital Millennium Medical College is a common but modifiable complication. Key factors include prolonged intubation, multiple attempts, larger ETT sizes, and visible airway damage. Improving airway management practices to reduce mucosal injury and shorten intubation time may help lower the incidence of POST and enhance patient satisfaction after surgery. Keywords: Postoperative sore throat, Endotracheal tube, General anesthesia, Ethiopia