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BackgroundPostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and unpleasant experience for patients after reduction mammoplasty. PONV may delay discharge from hospital. Dexamethasone is an effective and widely used antiemetic.ObjectivesThis study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone as a single antiemetic agent to reduce the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty.MethodsFifty women scheduled for reduction mammoplasty were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous dexamethasone 0.150 mg/kg or saline before the induction of anesthesia. Postoperative analgesia was provided with intravenous morphine via a patient controlled device and rectally administered indomethacin. The presence or absence of nausea, retching and vomiting, and pain scores were assessed upon arrival in the postanesthesia care unit and at 2, 6, 8 and 12 h, and by phone interview at 24 and 48 h after surgery.ResultsThe two groups were comparable in terms of age, history of motion sickness, duration of anesthesia and opioid consumption, both intraoperatively and postoperatively. There was no difference in the incidence of PONV between the two groups, but the patients who received dexamethasone required fewer doses of rescue antiemetic medication.ConclusionIntravenous dexamethasone before the induction of anesthesia is ineffective as a single agent antiemetic prophylactic treatment in patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty.