Objectives To determine whether preoperative dexamethasone reduces postoperative vomiting in patients undergoing elective bowel surgery and whether it is associated with other measurable benefits during recovery from surgery, including quicker return to oral diet and reduced length of stay.
Design Pragmatic two arm parallel group randomised trial with blinded postoperative care and outcome assessment.
Setting 45 UK hospitals.
Participants 1350 patients aged 18 or over undergoing elective open or laparoscopic bowel surgery for malignant or benign pathology.
Interventions Addition of a single dose of 8 mg intravenous dexamethasone at induction of anaesthesia compared with standard care.
Main outcome measures Primary outcome: reported vomiting within 24 hours reported by patient or clinician. Secondary outcomes: vomiting with 72 and 120 hours reported by patient or clinician; use of antiemetics and postoperative nausea and vomiting at 24, 72, and 120 hours rated by patient; fatigue and quality of life at 120 hours or discharge and at 30 days; time to return to fluid and food intake; length of hospital stay; adverse events.
Results 1350 participants were recruited and randomly allocated to additional dexamethasone (n=674) or standard care (n=676) at induction of anaesthesia. Vomiting within 24 hours of surgery occurred in 172 (25.5%) participants in the dexamethasone arm and 223 (33.0%) allocated standard care (number needed to treat (NNT) 13, 95% confidence interval 5 to 22; P=0.003). Additional postoperative antiemetics were given (on demand) to 265 (39.3%) participants allocated dexamethasone and 351 (51.9%) allocated standard care (NNT 8, 5 to 11; P<0.001). Reduction in on demand antiemetics remained up to 72 hours. There was no increase in complications.
Conclusions Addition of a single dose of 8 mg intravenous dexamethasone at induction of anaesthesia significantly reduces both the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting at 24 hours and the need for rescue antiemetics for up to 72 hours in patients undergoing large and small bowel surgery, with no increase in adverse events.
Trial registration EudraCT (2010-022894-32) and ISRCTN (ISRCTN21973627).
Cryolipolysis is a nonsurgical body sculpting technique that uses controlled cooling for localized fat reduction. The aim of the present study was to assess whether an intensive regimen of CoolSculpting based on multiple cycles/sessions on the same body area(s) could yield greater (more clinically significant) improvements in body contour. This was a prospective analysis of consecutive, healthy, adult patients undergoing CoolSculpting in routine practice across a variety of treatment areas. Patients underwent ≤4 cycles of CoolSculpting per body area during an initial treatment session, and ≤4 further cycles 4 weeks later (if required). They were followed up for ≥12 weeks. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled (n = 26 female; mean age: 51.6 ± 9.0 years; mean body weight: 69.4 ± 13.7 kg). They were treated across 58 body areas: 48 in a single session; 10 across two sessions. The mean number of cycles per area was 2.8 ± 1.5. Twenty-seven patients (54 body areas) were considered as treatment "responders." In these individuals, mean skinfold thickness decreased from 35.4 ± 9.9 mm pretreatment to 22.2 ± 7.6 mm at 12 weeks (mean change: −40%; P < .001). Mean change in skinfold thickness was greater with ≥3 vs 1 to 2 cycles of CoolSculpting (P = .01). Patient satisfaction was high (n = 51/58; 88%). No adverse events were recorded. The study shows that multiple cycles/sessions of CoolSculpting can safely improve overall treatment benefit in body contouring, with greater decreases in skinfold thickness than have typically been previously observed.
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