title: Betamethasone in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether betamethasone decreases the incidence of postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV) and reduces postoperative pain following partial mastectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized, double-blinded study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Operating room and Postanesthesia Care Unit of a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 ASA physical status 1 and 2 women scheduled for elective breast cancer surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomly allocated to two groups in double-blinded fashion: Group B (betamethasone; 37 pts) and Group C (control; 38 pts). Group B received 8 mg of betamethasone intravenously before the start of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rate of PONV and pain were recorded using a numeric rating scale (NRS; 0-10), as well as rescue doses of antiemetics (ondansetron) and analgesics (ketobemidone).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant lower incidence of postoperative nausea (PON) scoring NRS ≥ 1 in Group B in the 4 to 12-hour period compared with Group C (P = 0.02). The cumulative incidence of PON was 57% in Group B versus 68% in Group C (P = 0.27). The overall incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) was 18% and 20% in Groups B and C, respectively. Postoperative pain was reduced by 40% in Group B in the 4 to 12-hour period, but the mean dose of postoperative rescue analgesic did not differ between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative betamethasone reduces the severity of PONV and pain in patients undergoing elective breast surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive- and Perioperative Care, Lund University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: knut.olanders@skane.se.
authors.forename: Knut J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Olanders
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive- and Perioperative Care, Lund University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerd A E
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lundgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive- and Perioperative Care, Lund University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders M G
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D001623:Betamethasone
keywords: Betamethasone; Breast surgery; Postoperative nausea and vomiting