Endoscopic-guided Versus Cotton-tipped Applicator Gauze Pledgetting for Nasal Anesthesia Before Transnasal Endoscopy

• The primary outcome measures are tolerability profiles on a validated visual analogue scale [ Time Frame: Immediately after transnasal endoscopy up to all questionnaires answered (about 15 minutes) ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  The primary outcome measures are tolerability profiles on a validated visual analogue scale (VAS) and difficulty in inserting the transnasal endoscope through a selected meatus based on a Likert scale. The Likert scale has 5 points of difficulty: minimal, slight, moderate, substantial, and extreme. Facing a 5-point VAS card (1 = minimal discomfort to 5 = severe discomfort), all patients give real-time feedback immediately after UT-EGD by speaking or pointing out their scorings for the following: (1) pain during anesthesia, (2) pain during nasal insertions, (3) pain during exsertion, and (4) overall tolerance.
  
  

• Secondary outcome measures evaluate the side effects of nasal anesthesia [ Time Frame: The immediate secondary outcome measures will be evaluated by questionnaires immediately after UT-EGD and the delayed secondary outcome measures will be evaluated by otolaryngologists within two weeks after UT-EGD. ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

  Secondary outcome measures will be evaluated by assisting nurses, who record

  (a) immediate responses including: (i) epistaxis, (ii) immediately post-procedural side effects including headache, light headiness, and mucous discharge, and (iii) patient's willingness to receive the same procedure the next time, and (b) delayed side effect including (i) persisting nasal discharge, (ii) epistaxis 24 hours after UT-EGD, and (iii) sinusitis all confirmed by otolaryngologists within two weeks after UT-EGD. The visual capacity for the anterior nasal cavity ranking on a 5-point scale (5 represented standard EGD and 1 poor visual quality) is also evaluated by assisting nurses during endoscopic insertion after nasal decongestive anesthesia.

  
  

Nasal anesthesia is the rate-limiting step for a well tolerable unsedated transnasal esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (UT-EGD) procedure. The technique of using a cotton pledget soaked with lignocaine and decongestant is quite effective but does cause some discomfort during application of a cotton pledget to the nasal cavity. Hence, an effective method to deliver anesthetic agent and maintain a good field of vision during endoscopy are all very important.

Using a cotton-tippled applicator to deliver a soaked gauze strip may cause kinking of it around the nasal vestibule or just in the anterior end of a turbinate. Endoscopic guidance to deliver a gauze strip can confirm delivering it to at least the posterior end of a turbinate. We propose that a simple Endoscopic-Guided Gauze Pledgetting method (EGGP) is more tolerable than the "blind" cotton-tippled applicator method to deliver a gauze strip for anesthetizing the nasal cavity.

We hypothesize that this method can deliver a gauze strip to the superior end of a turbinate, thus inducing more adequate nasal anesthesia and reducing nasal pain. Hence, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether this EGGP method could reduce side effects such as nasal pain and bleeding and improve tolerance associated with UT-EGD. In a large tertiary referral hospital in Taiwan, We are going to conduct a prospective randomized-controlled trial to compare patient tolerance, safety and adverse events between EGGP versus cotton-tipped applicator primed gauze pledgetting (CTGP) methods of nasal anesthesia.