ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the effect of dexamethasone combined with aminophylline on perioperative airway responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery.Methods:Sixty-eight COVID-19 convalescent patients, aged 25-57 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery, were divided into experimental group ( n=34) and control group ( n=34). In experimental group, dexamethasone 10 mg was intravenously injected at the beginning of anesthesia induction, and aminophylline 0.25 g (in 100 ml of normal saline) was intravenously infused for 10 min starting from 15 min before the end of surgery. In control group, the equal volume of normal saline was administrated instead at the same time point. Airway secretions, laryngospasm and bronchospasm were recorded from the time point before operation to 24 h after operation, and coughing was also recorded from emergence to 3 min after extubation. The blood eosinophils (EOS) count, percentage of EOS (EOS%), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were determined, and plasma C reactive protein level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before operation and at 24 h after operation. The serum levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ were measured before operation, at 5 and 10 min after extubation and at 24 h after operation. Results:Compared with control group, the incidence of coughing, severity of coughing, incidence of increased airway secretion, and grade of airway secretion were significantly decreased, the levels of EOS, EOS%, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and plasma C reactive protein in peripheral blood and serum levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly decreased after operation ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the incidence of bronchial spasm in experimental group ( P>0.05). No laryngeal spasm occurred in both groups. Conclusions:Dexamethasone combined with aminophylline can relieve the perioperative airway responses by inhibition of inflammatory responses in COVID-19 convalescent patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery.