effect of intracuff alkalinized 2 lidocaine on endotracheal tube cuff pressure and postoperative throat symptoms in anaesthesia maintained by nitrous oxide aim to compare the effects of endotracheal tube cuff inflation media air saline and alkalinized 2 lidocaine on increase of cuff pressure cp during nitrous oxide maintained anaesthesia and on incidence of postoperative throat symptoms pts and to evaluate the incidence of postoperative throat mucosal injuries ptmi depending on cuff inflation medium methods ninety patients who had undergone elective surgery were randomly allocated into 3 equal groups per cuff inflation media air group a saline group s and alkalinized 2 lidocaine group l the cp was monitored immediately after cuff inflation and further 5 15 30 60 and 90 minutes after intubation the incidence and intensity of pts sore throat hoarseness dysphagia and cough were evaluated 2 6 and 24 hours after extubation the incidence and intensity of ptmi were evaluated 24 hours after exubation using indirect laryngoscopy examination results the highest increase of mean cp was recorded in the group a 18749 it was significantly lower 6411 in the group s while it remained stable in the group l 0707 all pts occurred less frequently in the group l sore throat p0001 hoarseness and dysphagia p005 but the incidence of cough was not significantly different between the groups the lowest incidence of ptmi was in the group l p 0001 conclusion the increase of cp contributed to incidence of pts the intracuff alkalinized 2 lidocaine was superior to saline and air in the prevention of an increase of cp and reduction of the pts incidence there was a strong correlation between the incidence of pts and ptmi