A randomized clinical trial concerning the effect of treatment with dexamethasone on postoperative shivering

Aims and Postoperative shivering after general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia is a common side effect. Besides, there are several medical methods to relieve shivering. Still on the issue of which method is most appropriate for patients after surgery, there is some controversy. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Dexamethasone in reduction of post-operative shivering after elective surgery in the city of Ilam. This study is a randomized double blind clinical trial on patients admitted for elective surgery to Imam Khomeini hospital during summer 1392, in Ilam. The inclusion criteria were: age between 18 to 55 years, and ASA class 1 and 2 with no underlying disease. Otherwise, and in the case of patient's dissatisfaction they were excluded from this study 60 patients of both sexes were randomly divided into two groups with a ratio of 1:1. An anesthesiologist injected placebo for the first group and 15 mc/kg Dexamethasone for the second one, after induction of anesthesia and before the incision..At the end of surgery, the frequency and the intensity of shivering among the two groups in the recovery room was examined by technicians who were unaware of the type of administered drug. In this study, 61.7% of patients were female. The most frequent degree of shivering intensity was grade 1 while grade 2 and 6 had the minimum frequency. There was no significant difference regarding gender and the type of drug administered (P value = 0.79). Also no significant relationship between the type of surgery and the anti-shivering drug was found (P value = 0.59). Our findings showed no significant difference regarding shivering control, between the Dexamethasone and the placebo groups