Intravenous Dexamethasone for Prolonging Sensory Block in Spinal Anesthesia

Single intravenous injection of 8 mg dexamethasone (2 mL) administered 5 minutes before spinal anesthesia. This intervention was tested for its effect on prolonging the duration of sensory and motor blocks induced by hyperbaric bupivacaine combined with sufentanil. The drug was administered under sterile conditions by an anesthesiologist blinded to group allocation.

Single intravenous injection of 2 mL isotonic saline (0.9% NaCl) administered 5 minutes before spinal anesthesia. This placebo was used to mimic the dexamethasone injection in the control group. The preparation, volume, and timing were identical to the intervention group to maintain blinding. The saline was administered under sterile conditions by an anesthesiologist blinded to group allocation.