97 patients scheduled to undergo arthroscopic subacromial decompression or arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint resection were randomly allocated to receive a 40 mg dose of dexamethasone, 8 mg dose of dexamethasone, or placebo. Doses were administered intravenously. The aim of this study was to determine if a 40 mg dose of dexamethasone would significantly improve short-term analgesia after discharge. Results revealed that the 40 mg dose did not result in significantly improved analgesia compared to the 8 mg dexamethasone dose following outpatient shoulder surgery.