Effect of combined paracetamol and dexamethasone vs. paracetamol on postoperative nausea vomiting after cesarean section.

OBJECTIVES

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common symptoms after cesarean delivery (CD) that affect patients outcomes and satisfaction. The treatment of choice is still evolving, therefore, we aimed to evaluate PONV of combined paracetamol-dexamethasone vs. paracetamol alone.

METHODS

This study is a double-blind randomized controlled trial on 100 patients undergoing cesarean delivery. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups of paracetamol or combined paracetamol-dexamethasone. Nausea and vomiting score, VAS score of pain, and chill were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The result of this study found that mild nausea 2nd h after surgery in the combined group was lesser than paracetamol group (0.03). However, there was no statistically significant difference in nausea and vomiting score in other periods of time between the two groups. VAS score of pain decreased 12th and 6th h after the surgery in the combined and paracetamol group, respectively. Chilling occurred in two patients of combined group and four patients of paracetamol group (p=0.432).

CONCLUSIONS

Dexamethasone added to paracetamol might not improve pain and vomiting after cesarean delivery comparison with just paracetamol. But it can be effective for reducing the score of nausea after the surgery.