A Comparison Between Conventional Throat Packs and Pharyngeal Placement of Tampons in Rhinology Surgeries

The nose and para nasal sinuses are anatomically known to be highly vascular and a substantial amount of bleeding is expected from rhinology surgeries, ingested blood is known to be a power full emetic, and the risk aspiration of blood is present due to the fact that an endotracheal tube is not 100% effective in protecting the airway. Post-operative nausea and vomiting is a frequent problem that is encountered in surgical patients with a 4th to 6th fold increase in nasal and endoscopic sinus operations.

Posterior throat pack is an often-used in rhinology surgery, it is said to help in protecting the air way against aspiration and also helps in the reduction of post-operative nausea and vomiting, however many studies concluded that posterior throat pack is associated with higher amount of post-operative pain, nausea,, vomiting and in some rare cases even forgotten in the patient leading to mortality. However, despite poor evidence the placement of posterior throat packs is commonly practiced by surgeons and anesthetists because the possible risk of aspiration is worrisome to the latter and the former.

A conventional throat pack consists of gauze, but an alternative practice involves the pharyngeal placement of tampons. In Marais and Prescott posterior pharyngeal placement of tampons is associated with a decrease amount of post-operative throat pain, when compared to conventional gauze throat packs, however they did not compare the incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting in both groups.