Evaluation of prophylactic effect of low-dose dexamethasone on postoperative vomiting in bitch undergoing elective colporraphy

Postoperative vomiting is one of the most common and distressing complications in the recovery period in man and small animals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prophylactic effect of low-dose (5 mg) dexamethasone on postoperative vomiting in bitch undergoing colporraphy under general anesthesia. Normal saline served as control. Twenty bitches (n=10 in each group) were examined in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Immediately before the induction of anesthesia, group I received 5 mg dexamethasone intravenously whereas group II received saline with the same volume. There was no statistically significant difference between group I and II in the incidence of postoperative vomiting (P > 0.05). This study showed that although the effectiveness of low-dose dexamethasone has been proven in previous studies, it does not significantly decrease postoperative vomiting in bitch undergoing elective colporraphy.