ArticleAnnals of medicine2026
High-dose vs. low-dose preoperative dexamethasone for systemic inflammation and recovery after esophagectomy: a randomized controlled trial protocol.
Article in Annals of medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionEsophagectomy provokes an intense systemic inflammatory response that is significantly associated with postoperative morbidities. Whether a single preoperative high-dose dexamethasone can attenuate this response and improve recovery remains unknown. PATIENTS AND
methodsThis single-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial will enroll 82 adults undergoing elective transthoracic esophagectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. Patients will be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous dexamethasone 15 mg (high-dose) or 5 mg (low-dose) during anesthesia induction. Both groups will receive standardized general anesthesia and perioperative care. The primary outcome is the peak plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level within 72 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes include CRP values at 24, 48 and 72 h; 72-h recovery quality, assessed using the 15-item quality of recovery scale; cumulative 72-h opioid consumption; in-hospital major complications (anastomotic leakage, mechanical ventilation > 48 h, pulmonary infection, renal failure, reoperation, death); 7-d hyperglycemic events (> 10 mmol/L); and length of postoperative hospital stay. DISCUSSION: By comparing two clinically relevant dexamethasone doses, this trial will provide high-quality evidence on the efficacy and safety of using 15 mg dexamethasone to mitigate excessive systemic inflammation and improve recovery after esophagectomy.
trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2500109536; registered on September 19, 2025).
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