• Ali Maeed Al-Shehri.
• Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. namas1@hotmail.com
• Ann Saudi Med. 2004 Sep 1; 24 (5): 365-7.

BackgroundPost-operative morbidity following tonsillectomy remains an important clinical problem despite advances in anesthetic and surgical techniques. This study investigated the effect of a one-day course of intravenous dexamethasone on recovery from tonsillectomy.Patients And MethodsIn a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 30 consecutive adult patients between 18 and 35 years of age, who had no previous or known contraindications to steroid therapy, were randomly assigned at the time of surgery to either a 24-hour course of dexamethasone (3 doses of 6 mg IV) or placebo with the first dose administered during surgery, and subsequent doses given after 8 and 16 hours. The same surgeon treated all patients. Postoperative signs and symptoms, including pain, nausea, vomiting, progress of healing and the degree of granulation, were evaluated for 2 weeks.ResultsPatients treated with dexamethasone showed significantly less pain, nausea and vomiting, better healing and less granulation. There were no side effects reported.ConclusionApplication of 3 doses of dexamethasone within 24 hours during and after tonsillectomy is advisable because of the reduction of postoperative morbidity, especially pain and edema.

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