Dexamethasone as Adjunct in Peripheral Nerve Blocks to Extend Analgesia

Abstract

The purpose of this scholarly project is to educate and assess the comprehension of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNA) on the benefits of the administration of dexamethasone as an adjuvant while performing peripheral nerve blocks. Opioid administration continues to have adverse effects. With a growing opioid epidemic and exponential health care costs, it is essential for anesthesia providers to be cognitive of other alternatives to pain management modalities. A literature review on dexamethasone was conducted and shown to prolong the action of peripheral nerve blocks, decrease narcotic usage, and in turn will provide quicker recovery times for orthopedic surgeries. After a completion of the literature review, a formal presentation was conducted with a PowerPoint to 21 SRNAs. Pre-tests were administered prior to the presentation to evaluate baseline knowledge of dexamethasone usage with peripheral nerve blocks. A post-test was then administered to assess for an increase in knowledge from the lecture. A statistical analysis was conducted of the pre-and post-test results and a paired T test. A statistically significant P value of < 0.001 was obtained in this study. Students’ average scores improved significantly from pre-to post- testing.

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Keywords

Peripheral Nerve Blocks, dexamethasone, Orthopedic, pain management

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