COMPARISON OF THE MEAN POST OPERATIVE PAIN SCORE TREATED WITH OR WITHOUT LOCAL INJECTION DEXAMETHASONE IN CAESAREAN SECTION PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Postoperative pain management is a crucial aspect of recovery following cesarean section surgery. Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid with anti- inflammatory properties, has been suggested as an adjunct to traditional pain  relief strategies. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of local dexamethasone injection in reducing postoperative pain in cesarean section patients compared to a placebo. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, from October 2024 to January 2025. A total of 60 patients undergoing elective cesarean section were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (Dexamethasone) and Group B (Placebo). Patients in Group A received a 16 mg subcutaneous dexamethasone injection after skin closure, while Group B received no dexamethasone. Results: The mean VAS score for Group A (Dexamethasone) was 3.2 ± 1.3, significantly lower than the mean score for Group B (Placebo), which was 7.8 ± 1.5 (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that dexamethasone reduced pain scores in both primiparous (p = 0.02) and multiparous (p = 0.03) patients. Additionally, patients with a previous cesarean section who received dexamethasone had a significantly lower VAS score (p = 0.03) compared to the placebo group, and similar results were seen in patients without a previous cesarean section (p = 0.01). Conclusion: It is concluded that the addition of dexamethasone to postoperative care significantly reduces pain in cesarean section patients. Dexamethasone is effective in reducing pain across various subgroups, including primiparous, multiparous, and patients with or without previous cesarean sections.