Flavored anesthetic lozenge versus XXXX spray used as topical pharyngeal anesthesia for unsedated esophagogastroduodenoscopy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

@entity1 @entity3303
BACKGROUND: The use of @entity3303 spray has been the common practice in many endoscopy centers, but scientific evidence is not conclusive on its superiority over other forms of topical anesthesia. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of @entity3303 spray as a topical pharyngeal anesthesia for upper endoscopy and that of anesthetic lozenges with a characteristic flavor. METHODS: A randomized placebo-controlled trial was performed in a single endoscopy center. For this study, 191 consecutive @entity1 ages 18 to 70 undergoing outpatient esophagogastroduodenoscopy were randomized before the procedure into either a spray group (10% @entity3303 pump spray plus plain Strepsils) or a lozenge group (Strepsils Dual Action anesthetic lozenge plus distilled water spray). The primary outcome was the @entity1 tolerance score, calculated according to the taste of the anesthetic agent, the intensity of numbness, the amount of cough or gag, and the degree of discomfort at esophageal intubation. The secondary outcomes included difficulty of esophageal intubation and the @entity1 ' and endoscopists' satisfaction score for the procedure. RESULTS: Randomization assigned 97 @entity1 to the lozenge group and 94 @entity1 to the spray group. The demographic data were similar in the two groups. The spray group had a significantly higher @entity1 tolerance score, a greater intensity of numbness, less gag reflex, and less discomfort than the lozenge group. The lozenge group had a better taste than the spray group. The difficulty of esophageal intubation and the @entity1 ' and endoscopists' satisfaction were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Topical @entity3303 spray is superior to the flavored anesthetic lozenge as a topical pharyngeal anesthesia in unsedated esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
