The Effect of Dexamethasone Administration Route and Local Anesthetic Concentration on Pain, Inflammatory Response, and Neuromonitoring in Children Undergoing Scoliosis Correction

Scoliosis correction surgery in children is a complex procedure associated with a significant risk of postoperative pain, inflammatory response, and potential neurological complications. Ensuring optimal pain control and minimizing adverse inflammatory responses is crucial for shortening the recovery period, improving patient comfort, and reducing the risk of long-term complications. In clinical practice, dexamethasone is frequently used as an adjuvant in regional anesthesia techniques due to its anti-inflammatory properties and its potential to prolong the analgesic effect.

Although the use of dexamethasone as an adjuvant in regional anesthesia is well known, there is limited research focusing on the impact of its route of administration (local versus intravenous) and the optimal concentration of local anesthetic agents on the effectiveness of pain control, inflammatory response, and neuromonitoring parameters during surgical procedures in children. Understanding these aspects is particularly important in complex procedures such as scoliosis correction surgery, where precise neurological function monitoring is essential for patient safety.

The objective of the proposed study is to evaluate the impact of different dexamethasone administration routes (intravenous and perineural) and varying concentrations of local anesthetic agents on postoperative pain, inflammatory response (measured using NLR and PLR indices), and neuromonitoring parameters in children undergoing scoliosis correction surgery. The findings from this study may contribute to the development of more effective and safer regional anesthesia and analgesia protocols for this patient group.

Conducting this study will provide new insights into the optimization of anesthesia in pediatric spinal surgery, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes and patient safety, as well as valuable data for clinical practice regarding the selection of anesthetic strategies.

Inclusion criteria

• >10 and <18 years old
• scheduled for idiopathic scoliosis surgery

Exclusion criteria

• included infection at the site of the regional block,
• coagulation disorders,
• immunodeficiency,
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status of IV or higher,
• history of regular steroid medication.