Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · Dec 1995
Effects of dexamethasone on laryngeal edema following short-term intubation.
Following short-term intubation for general anesthesia, respiratory difficulty may result from laryngeal or subglottic edema after extubation. We have hypothesized that this problem could be pretreated by administering a high-dose of dexamethasone intravenously before extubation. After glottic injuries were made under direct laryngoscopic view, intubation was performed and maintained for 1 hour in 33 rabbits. ⋯ Histologic sections of the larynges showed less submucosal edema, including other changes in group 1 and 2, than in group 3(P<0.05). In conclusion, administering a high-dose of dexamethasone before extubation, is effective in prophylaxis and treatment of laryngeal injuries following short-term intubation in rabbits. This is especially true in edema.