Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 30;15(2):e161467.
doi: 10.5812/aapm-161467.

Comparison of Single Intraoperative Dose of Dexamethasone on Glycemic Profile in Postoperative Diabetic and Non-diabetic Patients

Shetty Shyvi Ravindra  1 , Ahlam Abdul Rahman  1 , Rashmi R Aithal  1 , Sonal Bhat  1 , Akshatha D  1
Affiliations

Comparison of Single Intraoperative Dose of Dexamethasone on Glycemic Profile in Postoperative Diabetic and Non-diabetic Patients

Shetty Shyvi Ravindra et al. Anesth Pain Med. .

Abstract

Background: This is a prospective observational study. Dexamethasone is commonly associated with postoperative hyperglycemia. There is limited data on the glycemic effect of dexamethasone among the diabetic population.

Objectives: In the current investigation, postoperative glucose levels were measured in both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, and then a single dose of intraoperative dexamethasone was administered.

Methods: A total of 86 participants, with ASA I/II, were categorized into two groups: Diabetic and non-diabetic. Each group consisted of 43 individuals. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 70 years. During the operation, a single dosage of dexamethasone, with a maximum of 8 milligrams, was provided intraoperatively. "Postoperative nausea and vomiting" (PONV), random blood glucose (RBG), and pain ratings were recorded before surgery, immediately after surgery, after 12 hours, and 24 hours following surgery. Preoperative blood glucose levels were also recorded. The "Chi-square test and the unpaired t-test" were used for comparison and to analyze the data. A significance level of P < 0.05 was deemed significant.

Results: There was a statistically significant variance in RBG levels between diabetics and non-diabetics (P = 0.001). At various time periods, there was no correlation between the severity of PONV and diabetes among the participants. At various time intervals, the length of the procedure and the pain levels were equivalent to one another. In each group, there was a significant rise in RBG up to 12 hours, followed by a decline after 24 hours to a level similar to preoperative values.

Conclusions: A single dose of intraoperative "dexamethasone" was associated with transient hyperglycemia postoperatively up to 12 hours, which was more pronounced among the diabetic population and without major adverse effects like PONV in either group.

Keywords: Blood Glucose; Dexamethasone; PONV.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Mean random blood glucose (RBG) levels at different time intervals between groups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pitsava G, Maria AG, Faucz FR. Disorders of the adrenal cortex: Genetic and molecular aspects. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 ;13 doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.931389. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Li J, Zhao M, Xiang X, He Q, Gui R. A novel biomimetic nanomedicine system with anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoporosis effects improves the therapy efficacy of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. J Nanobiotechnol. 2021;19(1):417. doi: 10.1186/s12951-021-01165-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. van Tunen B, Klimek M, Leendertse-Verloop K, Stolker RJ. Efficiency and efficacy of planning and care on a post-anesthesia care unit: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):566. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05376-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Myles PS, Corcoran T. Benefits and Risks of Dexamethasone in Noncardiac Surgery. Anesthesiology. 2021;135(5):895–903. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000003898. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sharma SK, Singh S, Paul D, Ameta N, Taank P, Singh T. Effect of dexamethasone with granisetron or ondansetron for prevention of post-operative nausea vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Int J Res Med Sci. 2020;8(4) doi: 10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20201319. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources