VIDEO: Second dose of dexamethasone may reduce opioid consumption after TKA
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Key takeaways:
- A second dexamethasone dose reduced opioid consumption immediately after total knee arthroplasty.
- Length of stay and inpatient opioid requirements can be reduced with this method of pain management.
LAS VEGAS — In this video from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, Joshua C. Rozell, MD, discussed outcomes of a second perioperative dose of dexamethasone for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.
“Dexamethasone given in two dosages around the perioperative period is safe and effective in reducing opioid consumption [and] improving length of stay and pain scores,” he said. “For hospitals and surgeons who are developing same-day discharge protocols or outpatient total joint arthroplasty practices, [dexamethasone] is a nice addition to the multimodal pain management protocol to limit the dosages of narcotics,” Rozell added.