Effect of Dexamethasone and Pheniramine Maleate in Patients Undergoing Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

INTRODUCTION Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is elective surgical procedure for uncomplicated gallstone disease and gallbladder polyp. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of Dexamethasone and Pheniramine hydrogen maleate on reducing stress response and pain after surgery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS After obtaining approval from the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent, 120 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled in the study from Sep 2103 to Aug 2014 at Department of Surgery, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal. Patients were randomized to receive either 8mg/2ml of Dexamethasone + 45.5/2ml Pheniramine hydrogen maleate (treatment group, n= 60) or 5 ml of normal saline (control group, n=60) 90 minutes before skin incision. RESULTS There was a reduction of total bilirubin, C-reactive protein (CRP) value and Visual Analogue Score (VAS) in treatment group as compared to control group (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Use of Dexamethasone and Pheniramine hydrogen maleate prior to surgical skin incision helps to reduce both postoperative pain and acute physiological stress.