J Korean Pain Soc.  2001 Dec;14(2):176-180.

The Antiemetic Effects of Intravenous Dexamethasone in Preventing Continuously Infused Epidural Morphine-related Nausea and Vomiting

• Koo BN
• Yoon DM
• Kim JY
• Kim JC
• Nam YT

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate the antiemetic effects of intravenous dexamethasone in preventing continuously infused epidural morphine-related nausea and vomiting.
METHODS
Twenty-seven patients requiring general anesthesia for gastrectomy were enrolled in a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study. At the end of surgery, all patients received epidural morphine 3 mg and were connected to an epidural morphine infusion pump for 2 days in order to relieve postoperative pain. Before the morphine injection, the dexamethasone group (n = 12) received IV dexamethasone 10 mg, whereas the saline group (n = 15) received IV saline. The incidence of nausea & vomiting, pruritus, back pain and VAS scores were assessed in the recovery room, and at 24 h and 48 h postoperatively.
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the total incidence of nausea and vomiting, pruritus, back pain or in the VAS scores. However, there was no vomiting and no back pain in the dexamethasone group.
CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous dexamethasone did not significantly decrease the total incidence of nausea or vomiting in patients receiving continuous epidural morphine for postoperative pain control. However, IV dexamethasone appears to decrease the severity of nausea, vomiting and back pain.

Keyword

Antiemetic effects; Back pain; Dexamethasone; Epidural morphine; Nasea and vomiting

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, General
Antiemetics*
Back Pain
Dexamethasone*
Gastrectomy
Humans
Incidence
Infusion Pumps
Morphine
Nausea*
Pain, Postoperative
Pruritus
Recovery Room
Vomiting*
Antiemetics
Dexamethasone
Morphine