EFFECTS OF DEXAMETHASONE AS AN ADJUVANT TO ROPIVACAINE ON DURATION AND QUALITY OF POST-OPERATIVE ANALGESIA IN ULTRASOUND-GUIDED TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS PLANE BLOCK IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING LOWER-SEGMENT CESAREAN SECTION

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to measure the effect of adding dexamethasone to ropivacaine on the duration and quality of post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing lower-segment caesarean section (LSCS) who are receiving ultrasound-guided transverse abdominal plane (TAP) blocks. Methods: An interventional, prospective, randomized, and double-blind trial was conducted at a hospital. Before beginning the investigation, the Institutional Ethics Committee permission was acquired. The patient characteristics were analyzed using the Students t-test for continuous variables and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. A total of 60 patients were randomly split into two groups of 30 each. Results: Time to first rescue analgesia was significantly shorter in Group R (11.62±3.80 h) than the Group D (19.04±4.20 h) (p<0.001). The total tramadol requirement in post-operative period was significantly higher in Group R (86.67±30.55 mg) than the Group D (35.56±39.54 mg) (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of dexamethasone along with 0.1% ropivacaine prolongs the analgesic duration of TAP block in patients undergoing LSCS.