A Comparitive Study of IV Dexamethasone Vs Tramadol for Prevention of Shivering in Patients with Sub-Arachnoid Block

Abstract

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Spinal anaesthesia is a commonly used, safe technique for anaesthesia in various surgeries. However, it can lead to thermoregulatory impairment, especially when combined with the administration of cold intravenous fluids and exposure to a cool operating room environment. This can result in hypothermia in warmed surgical patients, leading to intraoperative and postoperative shivering which varies in severity, the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments used pharmacological methods for the treatment and prevention of shivering for this study include tramadol (0.5mg/kg) which is an opioid analgesic and dexamethasone(0.8mg/kg) which is anti-inflammatory in patients undergoing subarachnoid block.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive research approach with non-experimental

The design was adopted for the study of 100 patients with the symptoms of shivering who met the inclusion criteria, were selected for the study, and the shivering data were collected from the subjects who underwent spinal anesthesia during the surgery after administration of drugs.

RESULTS: The age-wise distribution of participants with males (53%) and females (47%). Most participants (36%) were females who experienced shivering more often, which emphasized the need for gender-specific considerations. The significant majority of spinal anesthesia cases involved patients with ASA-1 shows 66%. Severity peaked in the 31-40 age group. Dexamethasone and Tramadol were similarly effective in preventing shivering, with choice depending on severity.

CONCLUSION:  In conclusion, Dexamethasone and Tramadol are both effective in reducing post-operative shivering. Tramadol was linked to a significantly higher rate of adverse effects compared to Dexamethasone. The choice between the two should be based on individual patient factors, including the severity of shivering, overall health, and risk of complications. This study provides valuable evidence to guide clinicians in selecting the most appropriate medication for their patients.