A Repeat Dose of Perioperative Dexamethasone Can Effectively Reduce Pain, Opioid Requirement, Time to Ambulation, and In-Hospital Stay After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract Background The ideal dose of intravenous glucocorticoids to control pain in total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains unclear. This randomized controlled trial compared postoperative pain and tramadol requirement in patients undergoing unilateral primary THA who received one versus two perioperative doses of dexamethasone. Methods Patients consented to undergo blinded, simple randomization to either one (at anesthetic induction [1D-group]: 54 patients) or two (with an additional dose 8 hours after surgery [2D-group]: 61 patients) perioperative doses of 8-mg intravenous dexamethasone. Pain was evaluated with visual analog scale at 8, 16, and 24 hours postoperatively and with tramadol requirement. The secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to ambulation, and length of stay. Results Age (mean, 66 ± 13 years), body mass index (mean, 29 ± 5), gender (60% female), and history of diabetes were similar between groups (P >.05). Pain was higher at 16 (4 [interquartile range {IQR} 3-5] vs 2 [IQR 1-3]; P Conclusion An additional dose of dexamethasone at 8 hours postoperatively significantly reduced pain, tramadol consumption, time to ambulation, and length of stay after primary THA.