1Assistant Professor,
2Professor,
3Associate Professor, Anaesthesiology,
4Associate Professor, Community Medicine,
This study confirms the effectiveness of preoperative administration of Dexamethasone in reducing the incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and simultaneously establishes the exact incidence.
202 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia were studied in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled study. The Test (Dexamethasone) Group (n=103) was given dexamethasone 8mg IV and the Control (Saline) Group (n=99) was given 0.9% saline 2 ml IV before transferring to the operation area. Operative and anaesthetic techniques were standardised for all patients.
Post operatively 29.1% of the patients in the Dexamethasone Group compared with 47.5% in the Saline Group reported nausea (p=0.01). The incidence of vomiting in the Dexamethasone Group was 17.5% and in the Saline Group was 38.4% (p=0.001).
It was concluded that the incidence of nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was 47.5% and 38.4% respectively and the pre-operative administration of 8mg of dexamethasone IV significantly decreased the incidence of PONV.
Laparoscopy Cholecystectomy, PONV, Dexamethasone