Intravenous Dexamethasone for Prolonging Sensory Block in Spinal Anesthesia

Intravenous Dexamethasone for Prolonging the Sensory Block Duration of Spinal Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if intravenous dexamethasone can help prolong the effect of spinal anesthesia in adults having elective pelvic, urologic, or proctologic surgery. The study also looks at whether dexamethasone improves pain control after surgery and whether it causes any side effects.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does intravenous dexamethasone increase how long the spinal anesthesia lasts?

Does it reduce the need for pain medications after surgery?

Does it cause more or fewer side effects compared to a placebo?

In this study:

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 8 mg of intravenous dexamethasone or a placebo (salt water).

All participants received standard spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine and sufentanil.

Researchers measured how long the spinal anesthesia lasted and when the first pain medication was needed after surgery.

Participants were monitored for side effects such as low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and slow heart rate.

Surgeon satisfaction with anesthesia quality was also recorded.

Participants did not receive any additional procedures beyond routine care. The study found that dexamethasone helped prolong the spinal anesthesia and delayed the need for pain relief, without increasing side effects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients aged 18 to 80 years

ASA physical status I or II

Scheduled for elective pelvic surgery under spinal anesthesia (urologic, inguinal, or proctologic procedures)

Provided informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known allergy to dexamethasone or local anaesthetics

Contraindications to spinal anesthesia

Neurological diseases

Chronic use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressants

BMI > 40 kg/m²

Refusal to participate