Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2025
10:02
Use of Rabbit Eyes in Pharmacokinetic Studies of Intraocular Drugs
Published on: July 23, 2016
32.1K
Dexamethasone in anesthesia practice: A narrative review
Teena Bansal1, Suresh Singhal1, Susheela Taxak1
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
Journal of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology
|April 26, 2024
Summary
Dexamethasone is a valuable perioperative agent in anesthesia, effectively reducing postoperative nausea, vomiting, pain, and opioid needs. This synthetic glucocorticoid also decreases fatigue, shivering, and sore throat, improving overall patient recovery.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid widely used in anesthesia.
- It possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties.
- Considered an ideal perioperative agent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the benefits and applications of dexamethasone in anesthesia practice.
- To highlight its efficacy in reducing postoperative complications and improving recovery.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on dexamethasone use in perioperative care.
- Analysis of its administration routes (intravenous, epidural, perineural) and effectiveness in fascial blocks.
Main Results:
- Dexamethasone effectively reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).
- It significantly decreases pain and postoperative opioid requirements.
- Proven benefits include reduced fatigue, shivering, sore throat, and enhanced quality of recovery.
Conclusions:
- Dexamethasone is a versatile and effective agent for perioperative management.
- Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties contribute to improved patient outcomes.
- Recommended for routine use to mitigate common postoperative issues.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
119
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
119
01:29Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
429
Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
429
01:20Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
268
Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
268
01:19Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
240
Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
240
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
214
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
214
01:19Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
323
Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
323