Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
Effect of intravenous dexamethasone on duration of analgesia following popliteal nerve block in pediatric ankle surgery: A randomized, triple-blinded clinical trial
Authors' conclusion
Intravenous dexamethasone effectively prolongs analgesia and reduces opioid requirements after pediatric foot and ankle surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Children undergoing ankle or foot surgery with single-shot popliteal nerve block
- Participants
- 90 children
- Comparison
- IV dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg or 0.2 mg/kg vs placebo before single-shot popliteal nerve block
- Primary endpoint
- Time to first opioid requirement
Methodological detailstriple-blinded
- Triple-blinded
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Opioid-free interval
P < 0.0001
Secondary outcomes
Total opioid consumption
- Lowest in the 0.2 mg/kg group
- P = 0.0292
FLACC pain scores and inflammatory markers (NLR, PLR)
- Consistently lower in dexamethasone groups
Safety
Blood glucose
- Increased dose-dependently, highest in the 0.2 mg/kg group
Motor recovery
- Delayed with dexamethasone
Original publication
Effect of intravenous dexamethasone on duration of analgesia following popliteal nerve block in pediatric ankle surgery: A randomized, triple-blinded clinical trial. J Clin Anesth. Published 5 December 2025. doi:10.
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