Prevalence and factors associated with postoperative sore throat in Ethiopia: A systemic review and meta-analysis, 2023

Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) remains a stressful impact of postoperative airway management, and it contributes to mortality and morbidity after general anesthesia. Its pooled prevalence and determinants in Ethiopia have not been fully studied. This study intended to assess the pooled prevalence and risk variables for POST in Ethiopia. Methods: A systematic review and Meta-analysis were performed as per the recommendation of PRISMA. To evaluate the pooled prevalence and factors significantly associated with POST in Ethiopia, electronic databases were searched till November 30/2023 and publications were chosen based on inclusion criteria. To assess the quality of the included studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria was used. STATAMP 17 software was used for all data analysis. Results: Databases were searched for possible research using Medical Subject headings or entries or key phrases. Only 12 articles were included in the final analysis after screening by titles, abstracts, and full text based on the qualifying criteria. The pooled prevalence of POST in Ethiopia is 47.3 %. The determinants of POST in Ethiopia were female sex, repeated attempts at intubation, blood visible on the tip of an endotracheal tube or laryngoscope, prolonged duration of intubation, and using endotracheal intubation over laryngeal mask airway. Conclusion: In Ethiopia, the overall prevalence of postoperative sore throat is substantial. Prolonged intubation for more than 2 h, using ETT over LMA, Sex being female multiple attempts at intubation, and blood seen on the tip of ETT or Laryngoscope were the determinant factors of POST in Ethiopia.