Abstract
Objective: To assess the clinical effectiveness of dexamethasone wound infiltration post lumbar discectomy.
Design: A prospective, double blind, randomised study comparing morphine consumption in two groups of patients in elective lumbar spine surgery via the posterior approach.
Subjects: There were forty patients divided into two randomly selected groups, one received postoperative wound infiltration with dexamethasone, the other with saline. Their morphine usage was measured.
Outcome measures: These included levels of morphine use postoperatively, pain scores and length of hospital stay.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between postoperative morphine consumption in the two groups or in the length of hospital stay. There appeared to be improvement in pain scores with dexamethasone. There were no complications.
Conclusion: Postoperative wound infiltration with dexamethasone may result in some subjective improvement in pain, but none in analgesic consumption. Despite the lack of complications the subjective benefits do not outweigh the risks in the absence of objective improvement in pain.
Abstracts prepared by Mr. A. J. Stirling, FRCS, and Miss A. Weaver. Correspondence should be addressed to Miss A. Weaver at the Research and Teaching Centre, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK
BritSpine 2002, the second combined meeting of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons, the British Cervical Spine Society, The British Scoliosis Society and the Society for Back Pain Research, took place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham UK between 27th February and 1st March 2002. The following presentations and posters were given and displayed.
References:
1 L. H. Pobereskin and J. R. Sneyd. Does wound irrigation with triamcinolone reduce pain after surgery to the lumbar spine. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2000, Vol. 84 (6): 731–4. Google Scholar
2 J. Stovall King. Dexamethasone – A Helpful Adjunct in Management after Lumbar Discectomy. Neurosurgery, 1984; Vol. 14 (6); 697–700 Google Scholar
