Timing of intravenous dexamethasone and analgesia after brachial plexus block: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors' conclusion
Our results suggest that perioperative administration of 8 mg of intravenous dexamethasone (from 1 hour prior and up to 2 hours postblock) provides similar duration of analgesia to administration at the time of brachial plexus block.
Study context
- Population
- Patients receiving supraclavicular brachial plexus block, single tertiary academic centre158 analysed
- Participants
- 197 patients
- Comparison
- Timing of IV dexamethasone 8 mg: 1 h preblock vs at block vs 1 h or 2 h postblock
Methodological detailsdouble-blind, placebo-controlled, single-centre, 39 excluded due to loss to follow-up and unavailable primary outcome data
- Double-blind
- Placebo-controlled
- Single-centre
- 39 excluded due to loss to follow-up and unavailable primary outcome data
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Time to first reported pain
- Not significantly different between groups
- p=0.904
Secondary outcomes
Pain scores, opioid consumption, recovery scores, block recovery time · up to 48 hours
- Did not vary significantly among groups
Safety
Adverse effects (postoperative neurological symptoms, nausea) · up to 3 months postoperatively
- Similar across groups
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Timing of intravenous dexamethasone and analgesia after brachial plexus block: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published 25 December 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →