Topical Anaesthesia in Flexible Nasofibrolaryngoscopy

Abstract Introduction The emergence of flexible nasofibrolaryngoscopy in recent decades has facilitated the development of Otolaryngology and the nasofibrolaryngoscope has become an essential diagnostic tool for the otolaryngologist. However, its use is not without discomfort for the patient, which is why various options for topical anaesthesia have been proposed during the development of the technique. Materials and methods This was a prospective, double blind, crossover study in patients with no history of nasal disease, through which we compared the use of topical anaesthetic (Lidocaine) + epinephrine, oxymetazoline and placebo. Using a visual analogue scale, the degree of discomfort was assessed during each scan. Results We evaluated 18 patients, 10 women (55.6%) and 8 men (44.4%), with a mean age of 28 ± 4 years. The degree of disturbance generated by the scan with the application of lidocaine–epinephrine was 1.94; with oxymetazoline it was 3.78, and with placebo, 4.61. When the lidocaine–epinephrine solution was compared with oxymetazoline, there was a statistical significance in favour of lidocaine–epinephrine ( P P Conclusions In this study we demonstrated that using lidocaine associated with epinephrine as a topical anaesthetic prior to flexible nasofibrolaryngoscopy decreases pain and feeling of discomfort for the patient. Consequently, we can recommend the use of topical nasal anaesthesia when performing this exploration.