Introduction:
Dexamethasone is commonly administered in intracranial tumors to reduce the cerebral edema. Its administration may be associated with hyperglycemia. The primary objective of this study was to study the magnitude of rise in blood sugar levels following the administration of a single 10 mg dose of dexamethasone.
Methods:
Seventy patients who underwent various neurosurgical procedures were enrolled in the study. Group D (
n
= 35 undergoing surgery for intracranial tumors) were administered injection dexamethasone 10 mg while as Group
P
(
n
= 35 undergoing surgery for subarachnoid hemorrhage) received placebo. Blood samples were obtained through the arterial line at baseline (before dexamethasone administration), 60, 120, 180, and 240 min after the dexamethasone administration and blood glucose concentrations noted.
Results:
Glucose concentrations were significantly increased in patients who received dexamethasone compared with those who received placebo (
P
< 0.05). Blood glucose concentrations at different time intervals were greater when compared with the baseline blood sugar levels in both the placebo and dexamethasone group (
P
< 0.05). The arterial blood glucose concentration in those who received 10 mg dexamethasone (
n
= 35) increased from 95.29 ± 13.69 mg.dl
−1
to 139.97 ± 10.34 mg.dl
−1
over 4 h, compared with a change from 94.74 ± 10.05 mg.dl
−1
to 122.34 ± 10.68 mg.dl
−1
in those who received placebo (
n
= 35) (
P
< 0.05).
Conclusion:
The administration of a single intravenous dose of 10-mg dose dexamethasone caused a significant increase in the blood glucose concentrations at different point intervals when compared with the placebo over a 4-h period. We recommend intensive monitoring of the blood sugar levels during the intraoperative period to prevent the development of severe hyperglycemia and its associated complications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.