title: Analgesic effect of a single dose of betamethasone after ambulatory knee arthroscopy: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Glucocorticoids are reported to improve postoperative analgesia. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a preoperative, single dose of betamethasone could reduce pain after ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery.
  
  
  
  This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy. The intervention was an intravenous injection of betamethasone 8 mg or placebo. The primary outcome was pain day 1 evaluated by a verbal descriptor scale (VDS).
  
  
  
  In total, 74 patients (betamethasone = 34; placebo = 40) were randomized. One patient in each group was excluded from analysis. During activity day 1 following surgery, the proportion with no or minor pain was significantly (p = 0.030) higher in the betamethasone group (22 of 33; 67 %) compared with the placebo group (17 of 39; 44 %). At rest, the corresponding figures were 26 of 33 (79 %) for betamethasone and 24 of 39 (62 %) for placebo (p = 0.062). After 3 months of follow-up, no patient receiving betamethasone experienced adverse events while six receiving placebo did (postoperative nausea and vomiting in five and delayed wound healing in one).
  
  
  
  An analgesic benefit was seen day 1 following surgery. This indicates that betamethasone has a place in ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery.
  
  
  
  https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ (identifier 2009-014717-27).
authors.affiliation: Section of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, 118 81, Stockholm, Sweden. jerker.segelman@sodersjukhuset.se.
authors.forename: Jerker
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5098-6977
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans Järnbert
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.affiliation: Section of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, 118 81, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svensén
authors.affiliation: Section of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, 118 81, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mona-Britt
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Divander
authors.affiliation: Section of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barenius
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Ersta Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Josefin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segelman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone
keywords: Arthroscopy; Betamethasone; Pain; Randomized controlled trial