Background: Postoperative sore throat has been a common complication and a patient’s undesirable outcome after general anesthesia (GA). The incidence varies from 30% to 70% while the standard treatment has not been established.

Objective: To study the effect of propolis spray for prevention of postoperative sore throat after GA with endotracheal tube (ETT).

Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study, we compared the incidence of sore throat and hoarseness of voice after GA with ETT. One hundred and thirty-two ASA class I and II patients undergoing elective surgery under GA with ETT were randomly assigned into two group: propolis and control groups. Group P (propolis) patients received propolis spray on the vocal cords and vallecula during ETT intubation and group C (control) received normal saline spray. After the surgery, postoperative sore throat and severity of hoarseness of voice were recorded by a blinded anesthesiologist at 0-2 h, 6 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery.

Result: The overall incidences of postoperative sore throat and hoarseness of voice were similar in both groups. Forty-one patients (67.2%) in the propolis group and forty patients (61.5%) in the control group had postoperative sore throat. Fifty patients (82.0%) in the propolis group had hoarseness of voice, compared to forty-nine patients (75.4%) in the control group. The VAS scores for postoperative sore throat were comparable in both groups.

Conclusion: Applying propolis spray directly on the vocal cords and vallecula during ETT intubation does not prevent postoperative sore throat after GA with ETT.