Results: The mean age was 52.1±14.1, and there was no difference between the two groups. Demographic characteristics, including sex, body mass index, duration of surgery, kind of intubation, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, were not significantly different. The length of stay in the intensive care unit in the dexamethasone group was significantly longer than the control group (104 vs. 79-hour, P=0.001, CI 95%: 10.995-40.878). The rate of failure in extubation and postoperative stridor was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.237).
Conclusion: Dexamethasone usage seems not to be effective in reducing airway edema, and its routine use is not recommended in reducing stridor after endotracheal tube removal.
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