Dexamethasone?

[ckemere]

A couple of questions about dexamethasone.

(1) Do you guys think it really makes a difference post-op?

(2) Do you administer it pre-op? (I see in Mark Andermann's 2013 Neuron paper that they were giving it 3 hours ahead.)

(3) What's your dosing and method of administration? Is IM really necessary (or are SC or IP ok)?

thanks!
caleb

[denisecai]

Hi Caleb,

Members of our lab that do 2-P imaging noticed that using dex post-op helped keep their cranial windows more clear. So we have always given dex during the surgery as well as post-op for 7 days to reduce inflammation in the imaging area. We don't administer before the surgery, but some people in our lab prefer to administer it at the beginning while others prefer to administer it towards the end of surgery. I'm not sure if there is a difference between the two. We inject dex (0.2mg/kg) subcutaneously (and carprofen-5mg/kg). Let us know of your experience!

Good luck!
Denise