Preoperative Intravenous Dexamethasone and Postoperative Analgesia Following Breast Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind Trial at a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Ghana.

Introduction: Breast surgery may be associated with significant postoperative pain and if not adequately treated, may lead to the development of chronic post-surgical pain. This necessitates the use of effective management, involving the use a multimodal analgesia regimen for the management of post breast surgery pain. The analgesic effect of perioperative use of dexamethasone has been explored but findings have been inconsistent.

Safety and efficacy of single-dose preoperative intravenous dexamethasone on post-operative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Objectives: Dexamethasone has beneficial effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting, however, many clinicians have raised legitimate concerns regarding its effect on blood glucose concentrations. This study determined the safety and efficacy of a single pre-operative dose of dexamethasone for PONV prophylaxis in patients undergoing breast surgery.

Design: Prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.