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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Analgesic Effect of Perioperative Systemic Dexamethasone on Blowout Fracture Surgery
Eeva Kormi1, Johanna Snäll1, Anna-Maria Koivusalo2
1Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Purpose:
To clarify the effect of systemic dexamethasone (DXM) on pain and postoperative opioid (oxycodone) consumption after blowout fracture surgery.
Materials And Methods:
A prospective randomized observer-blinded trial of 20 patients who had a blowout fracture requiring surgical intervention was conducted. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a total dose of intravenous DXM 30 mg perioperatively or no DXM (controls). Pain was assessed postoperatively using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) each time analgesics (acetaminophen every 6 hours or oxycodone upon request) were administered. The VAS area under the curve (VAS AUC) for 24 hours postoperatively represented the outcome. Data were analyzed using χ2 test, Student t test, 2-tailed Mann-Whitney U test, and linear regression, with a P value less than .05 indicating significance.
Results:
Patients with blowout fracture receiving perioperative systemic DXM exhibited a significantly lower average VAS AUC (P = .04). After controlling for other confounding variables, this result remained significant (P = .03).
Conclusions:
DXM appears to decrease postoperative pain and thus is recommended as a pre-emptive analgesic in blowout fracture surgery.
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