• N Gnanasekar, G Dilip Kumar, Pranjali Kurhekar, M S Raghuraman, and T Krishna Prasad.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Shri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University), Ammapettai, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
• Anesth Essays Res. 2018 Oct 1; 12 (4): 937-942.

ContextDexamethasone as an adjunct to ropivacaine has shown promising results in prolonging the duration of analgesia in transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block. Only limited studies evaluated the effects of dexamethasone with ropivacaine in TAP block in specific population.AimsThe effects of adding dexamethasone to ropivacaine on the quality and duration of TAP block in lower abdominal surgeries in multiple specialties were studied.Settings And DesignThis was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.Subjects And MethodsSeventy adult patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries were allocated into two groups to receive general anesthesia with TAP block with 20 ml 0.25% ropivacaine with 8 mg dexamethasone (2 ml) (Group A, n = 35) or 20 mL 0.25% ropivacaine with 2 ml saline (Group B, n = 35) each side. The analgesic efficacy in terms of pain scores, morphine consumption, and occurrence of nausea and vomiting was compared between two groups.Statistical Analysis UsedData were analyzed with SPSS 23 with independent t-test and Chi-square test as applicable. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged in Group A (P = 0.000). The total morphine consumption was significantly lesser in Group A (P = 0.000). The pain scores (numerical pain intensity scale) were significantly lesser in Group A till the 8th postoperative hours. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting was comparable between the groups (P = 0.3821).ConclusionsAddition of dexamethasone to ropivacaine significantly improved the quality of analgesia with reduced consumption of opioids as compared to plain ropivacaine in TAP block.

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