[Effect of dexamethasone on post tonsillectomy pain].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of a course of intravenous dexamethasone on pain after tonsillectomy.

METHOD

Sixty patients who underwent tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. Postoperatively, 30 patients in experimental group received anti-inflammatory drug and dexamethasone for 4 days, and the other 30 patients in control group received anti-inflammatory drug and placebo. Degree of postoperative pain was measured with visual analogue scale in the patients more than 12-year-old and with Wong-Baker faces pain scale in the patients less than or equal to 12-year-old. The measurement was made twice daily for 5 days.

RESULT

During the postoperative period, the scale value was decreasing every day in the all patients. But the value in experimental group was less than that in control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Dexamethasone given in this regime reduces postoperative pain and odynophagia after tonsillectomy.