Analgesic effect of a single dose of betamethasone after ambulatory knee arthroscopy: a randomized controlled trial

作者：Segelman Jerker; Pettersson Hans Jarnbert; Svensen Christer; Divander Mona Britt; Barenius Bjorn; Segelman Josefin

来源：Journal of Anesthesia, 2016, 30(5): 803-810.

DOI：10.1007/s00540-016-2209-y

• Betamethasone
• Pain
• Arthroscopy
• Randomized controlled trial

Glucocorticoids are reported to improve postoperative analgesia. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a preoperative, single dose of betamethasone could reduce pain after ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery.
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy. The intervention was an intravenous injection of betamethasone 8 mg or placebo. The primary outcome was pain day 1 evaluated by a verbal descriptor scale (VDS).
In total, 74 patients (betamethasone = 34; placebo = 40) were randomized. One patient in each group was excluded from analysis. During activity day 1 following surgery, the proportion with no or minor pain was significantly (p = 0.030) higher in the betamethasone group (22 of 33; 67 %) compared with the placebo group (17 of 39; 44 %). At rest, the corresponding figures were 26 of 33 (79 %) for betamethasone and 24 of 39 (62 %) for placebo (p = 0.062). After 3 months of follow-up, no patient receiving betamethasone experienced adverse events while six receiving placebo did (postoperative nausea and vomiting in five and delayed wound healing in one).
An analgesic benefit was seen day 1 following surgery. This indicates that betamethasone has a place in ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery.

• 出版日期2016-10