Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: This randomized, comparative clinical study was designed to compare 2 % lignocaine nebulization and 2 % lignocaine via spray-as-you-go technique for topical airway anaesthesia during or awake flexible fiberoptic intubation (AFOI) in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis patients. METHODS: Sixty adult patients with TMJ ankylosis were randomly assigned to the following study groups using a computer generated random number table 2 % lignocaine nebulised (group A) and 2 % lignocaine via spray-as-you-go technique (group B). After airway anaesthesia, awake flexible fiberoptic nasotracheal intubation was performed. An independent investigator who did not participate in the study scored patients' comfort during airway topical anaesthesia and patients' reaction during awake FOI. Changes in haemodynamics during the airway manipulation were also observed. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the observed variables between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both 2 % lignocaine nebulization and 2 % lignocaine spray-as-you-go technique provided acceptable conditions for AFOI in TMJ patients.