Asad Ali Shah, Atif Pervez, Azhar Bashir.
Role of dexamethasone in postoperative nausea and vomiting in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;5(1):90-3.

Objective: was to investigate the outcome in terms of Postoperative nausea and vomiting within 24 hours in patients undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy receiving preoperative dexamethasone and those not receiving . Study design: Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double blind study. Materials and methods: 100 patients were randomized in two equal groups i.e., either Saline (S group) or Dexa (D group). Each of the group received either saline (2ml) intravenous (Group S) as placebo or dexamethasone (8mg) intravenous (Group D). Results: Six patients (12%) in the treatment group and 15 (30%) in the control group had postoperative nausea.6 patients (12%) treated with dexamethasone had vomiting as opposed to 15 (30%) receiving placebo. Nausea and vomiting were significantly reduced during the entire observation period compared with placebo: in particular, eleven patients (22%) in the treatment group had postoperative nausea and vomiting versus 26(52%) in the placebo. Conclusion: Dexamethasone improves the surgical outcome by reducing disabling symptoms of nausea and vomiting without apparent side-effects. So preoperative dexamethasone may be used as a routine in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

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