ABSTRACT
Effect of intravenously administered dexamethasone in reducing the incidence and severity of post operative sore throat in patients receiving general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. To investigate the effect of dexamethasone administered intravenously preoperative in reducing post operative sore throat. 80 patients receiving general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation in randomized double blinded placebo controlled were randomly assigned to two groups: group1[control] patients receiving normal saline 2 mLiv and group 2 [D] patients received dexamethasone 8 mg iv. After surgery, visual analogue scale [VAS] scores at rest and with effort [swallowing movement] for post operative sore throat were recorded. This study revealed that post operative sore throat during the first 24 hr following surgery was lower in dexamethasone group [D] compared to the control group [C]. Nine [22.4%] patients in the dexamethasone group had postoperative sore throat, compared to 23[57.5%] patients in the control group [p<0.01]. Postoperatively at one hour, three hours, six hours, 12 hours and 24 hours, the VAS scores for postoperative sore throat at rest and during effort were lower in dexamethasone group [D] compared to the control group [p<0.01] at corresponding time intervals. Preoperative administration of dexamethasone 8mg iv reduces the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat in patients receiving general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation.