Riassunto dello studio

Sixty nine patients undergoing surgery for unstable distal radius fractures were randomized to receive either a brachial plexus block with (n=34) or without dexamethasone (n=35). The primary outcome of interest was pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes of interest included fentanyl consumption, levels of blood glucose, duration of the block, and the incidence of rescue antiemetic use. Overall, the results revealed that VAS pain scores were significantly lower in the dexamethasone group at 4 & 8 hours compared to the non-dexamethasone group. In addition, serum blood glucose levels immediately post operation were significantly higher in the dexamethasone group as well as a significantly longer block duration. These results indicate, that when undergoing volar plating for distal radius fractures, there is no clinical difference in the postoperative pain level in patients who received supplemental dexamethasone in a regional block compared to conventional brachial plexus block anesthesia.