Comparative Study the Effect of Preoperative Dexamethasone on Postoperative Throat pain in Patients Undergoing Tonsillectomy at Ratchaburi Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of preoperative single dose of dexamethasone on postoperative pain in patients undergoing tonsillectomy.

Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort experimental study was done in adult patients, older than the age of 18, who underwent tonsillectomy at Ratchaburi Hospital since 1 July 2014 to 31 August 2015. All the patients which were divided randomly into two groups and gave informed consent to the expected procedure. One of two groups received preoperative 8 mg dexamethasone intravenous injection. Data of pain level were recorded postoperative at 6, 12, 24 hour after surgery, then statistic method was used to analyze all data.

Results: 25 patients were included in this study; 14 males (56%) and 11 females (44%). The range of age was around 20-62 years. Patients who received preoperative single dose dexamethasone injection had significantly less pain than the controlled group at 6, 12, 24 hours (p-value at 6, 12, 24 hr = 0.002, 0.008, 0.002). Length of hospitalization in the steroid group were importantly less than in the controlled group (p-value <0.001). However intraoperative blood loss between two groups are not appreciably different (p-value>0.05).

Conclusion: Preoperative single dose of dexamethasone could decrease postoperative throat pain and length of hospitalization in patients who underwent tonsillectomy, however, there is no positive effect in blood loss volume.