ABSTRACT

Objective: To compare the outcomes of caudal block with or without intravenous dexamethasone in controlling post-herniotomy pain in pediatric population

Patients and Methods: A total of 90 patients who underwent inguinal herniotomy were included in this prospective comparative study. The study was conducted in a tertiary care setup in Qatar from Jan-2020 to May-2021. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups. Group A (dexamethasone) patients received dexamethasone intravenous 0.25 mg/kg in 5 ml of distilled water, 10 minutes before surgery. Group B (control) received 5 ml of normal saline, 10 minutes before surgery. The patients were followed for up to 240 minutes after surgery to determine adequate pain relief.

Results: Mean age of the children included in this study was 7.11±1.95 years. There were 46 (51.1%) female children and 44 (48.9%) male children. Adequate post-operative pain relief was achieved in 30 (33.33%) patients, while rescue analgesia was needed in remaining 60 (66.67%) patients. Adequate pain relief was achieved in 24 (53.3%) children in dexamethasone group and in only 06 (13.3%) children in control group (p-value 0.001).

Conclusion: In children undergoing herniotomy, Intravenous 0.25 mg/Kg of dexamethasone when used as an adjunct to bupivacaine for caudal block significantly reduces post-operative pain.