USE OF DEXAMETHASONE AND ITS EFFECT ON POST-OPERATIVE SORE THROAT IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL SURGERIES
Keywords:
Keywords: Dexamethasone; Postoperative Sore Throat; General Anesthesia; Endotracheal Intubation; Abdominal Surgery; Visual Analog ScaleAbstract
Background: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a frequent complication of general anesthesia administered via endotracheal intubation, affecting 20–70% of surgical patients. It causes significant discomfort, impairs swallowing, delays oral intake, and reduces patient satisfaction. Dexamethasone, a potent synthetic corticosteroid, has been proposed as an effective prophylactic agent due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiemetic properties.
Methods: A comparative analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, over four months. One hundred patients undergoing elective abdominal surgeries under general anesthesia were equally allocated to a dexamethasone group (n=50) and a normal saline control group (n=50). POST was assessed using a four-point severity scale (0–3) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS, 0–10) at recovery, 4 hours, and 6 hours postoperatively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.
Results: POST developed in 53% of all participants. In the dexamethasone group, 23 patients (46%) developed POST versus 30 patients (60%) in the saline group. More dexamethasone patients reported zero pain on VAS (38% vs. 34%), while severe pain (VAS 10) was exclusive to the saline group. At 6 hours, 44 dexamethasone patients were completely symptom-free versus 41 controls, and severe POST occurred only in the control group. Adverse reactions were minimal (2%).
Conclusion: Intraoperative dexamethasone is a safe and effective intervention for reducing the incidence and severity of POST in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgeries. Its incorporation into standard anesthetic protocols is recommended.
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