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Postoperative nausea and vomiting remains a common cause of morbidity. This is a complex reflex involving multiple inputs via diverse receptor pathways which are integrated in the brainstem emetic centre. Factors related to the patient, the surgery, the anaesthetic and the recovery period are known to influence an individual's risk of vomiting.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting are still common problems after general anesthesia, especially in ambulatory surgery. Drug therapy is often complicated with central nervous system symptoms. We studied a nonpharmacological method of therapy--acupressure--at the Pericardium 6 (P.6) (Nei-Guan) meridian point. Two hundred consecutive healthy patients undergoing a variety of short surgical procedures were included in a randomized, double-blind study: 108 patients were in the acupressure group (Group 1) and 92 patients were in the control group (Group 2). Spherical beads of acupressure bands were placed at the P.6 points in the anterior surface of both forearms in Group 1 patients, while in Group 2 they were placed inappropriately on the posterior surface. The acupressure bands were placed before induction of anesthesia and were removed 6 h postoperatively. They were covered with a soft cotton wrapping to conceal them from the blinded observer who evaluated the patients for presence of nausea and vomiting and checked the order sheet for any antiemetics prescribed. In both groups, the age, gender, height, weight, and type and duration of surgical procedures were all comparable without significant statistical difference. In Group 1, only 25 of 108 patients (23%) had nausea and vomiting as compared to Group 2, in which 38 of 92 patients (41%) had nausea and vomiting (P = 0.0058). We concluded that acupressure at the P.6 (Nei-Guan) point is an effective prophylaxis for postsurgical nausea and vomiting and therefore a good alternative to conventional antiemetic treatment.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting is a major concern for patients undergoing outpatient surgery under general anaesthesia, and may complicate and delay discharge from hospital. This paper evaluates the safety and efficacy of ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting. One thousand patients in 30 centres in the United States who received general anaesthesia and developed postoperative nausea and vomiting were studied. In a randomised, double-blind, stratified and parallel designed protocol, patients received either ondansetron 1, 4, 8 mg or placebo for nausea or vomiting occurring within 2 h of entry into the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit. Subsequent episodes of vomiting, nausea scores, laboratory and clinical safety data and adverse events were evaluated during the 24-h study period. In a separate study, pharmacokinetic data were compared for intramuscularly and intravenously administered ondansetron. Each dose of ondansetron was significantly better than placebo in reducing nausea from control values during the initial 2-h study period, and in preventing further emesis over 24 h. There were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse events, changes in laboratory values or measures of vital signs in the ondansetron groups compared to the placebo group. Dose comparisons between the three treatment groups showed that ondansetron 4 mg is the optimal dose to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting. Ondansetron is a well tolerated, efficacious antiemetic which has a similar side effect profile to placebo. Intramuscular administration has the same systemic availability as intravenous administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Postoperative nausea and vomiting continues to pose problems for surgical patients. Three studies were undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic intravenous ondansetron in male and female patients undergoing outpatient surgery. Studies 1 and 2 included a total of 1169 female patients scheduled to undergo surgery on a day case basis. In study 3, 468 male patients scheduled for outpatient surgery were enrolled. Patients received ondansetron or placebo prior to induction of anaesthesia. Efficacy and safety data were collected for 24 h postoperatively. Studies 1 and 2, individually, revealed that ondansetron 4 mg and 8 mg were significantly (p < or = 0.05) better than placebo at preventing emesis. A combined analysis showed that the 4 mg and 8 mg doses were significantly (p < or = 0.05) better than ondansetron 1 mg at preventing emesis, while 8 mg was not statistically different from 4 mg. Therefore, 4 mg was chosen as the optimal dose. In study 3, ondansetron 4 mg was significantly (p < or = 0.001) more effective than placebo in preventing emesis in males. There were no differences between treatment groups with respect to vital signs, laboratory values, or adverse events. Intravenous ondansetron is safe and effective at preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in male and female patients undergoing day case surgery.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is still a problem and is very discomforting for the patients. As surgery done on out-patient basis becomes more frequent, PONV will represent an important factor in the length of recovery room stay, and is in this way an economic problem. Based on the literature from 1985-1995 factors associated with increased risk, prevention and treatment of PONV are discussed in view of the physiological mechanisms. The conclusion is that PONV is a complex problem. It demands an individual evaluation with a careful preoperative visit including planning of both preanaesthetic and anaesthetic agents. Furthermore, a proper anaesthetic treatment of the per- and postoperative course is of high importance. Patients at high risk of PONV should be identified and given prophylactic antiemetics.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common distressing complication of surgery and anaesthesia. The multifactorial aetiology of PONV gives rise to an incidence that varies widely among different patient groups. PONV is unpleasant for the patient, may be associated with medical complications and can increase hospital costs. One cannot usually modify the patient or surgical factors associated with an increase in PONV, but the choice of anaesthetic technique can alter the incidence of PONV. Current research is concentrated on a new class of drugs, the serotonin (5-HT3) receptor antagonists. This review summarizes the experience with these drugs and other recent advances in PONV.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is an age-old problem; more so since the blooming of ambulatory or day surgery centres within the last 2 decades. The aetiology of PONV is multifactorial. The incidence of PONV is usually higher in women and children than in men. PONV not only causes patient discomfort, anxiety in mild cases, and serious complications in severe cases, it also decreases cost efficiency. The benefits and risks of old and new antiemetic drugs used worldwide to treat PONV are discussed in this article, including the newly developed serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 (5HT3) antagonists. All the medications currently used to treat PONV have both advantages and disadvantages. If used indiscriminately to treat patients who have no problems with PONV, the risks of adverse effects often outweigh the benefits. The patient's history and the nature of the surgery are good indicators for defining those at risk from PONV; for patients at risk preventive treatment is essential. However, it is almost impossible to pick one agent or one combination as the therapy of choice using the present available data. A patient history of a favourable response to a previously used antiemetic would make that drug the agent of choice. So far, the newcomers, the 5HT3 antagonists, have fewer reported adverse effects.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a widespread and often underestimated problem that invariably falls onto the shoulders of nursing staff. In order to find out how nurses view this condition, a major survey was conducted amongst members of the National Association of Theatre Nurses.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are unpleasant experiences. However, there is no drug that is completely effective in preventing PONV. Whereas cost effectiveness analyses rely on specific health outcomes (e.g., years of life saved), cost-benefit analyses assess the cost and benefit of medical therapy in terms of dollars. We hypothesized that patients were willing to pay for a hypothetical new drug that would eliminate PONV. Eighty elective day surgical patients using general anesthesia participated in the study. After their recovery in the postanesthetic care unit, they were asked to complete an interactive computer questionnaire on demographics, the value of avoiding PONV, and their willingness to pay for an antiemetic. Patients were willing to pay US$56 (US$26--US$97; median, 25%--75%) for an antiemetic that would completely prevent PONV. Patients who developed nausea (n = 21; 26%) and vomiting (n = 9; 11%) were willing to pay US$73 (US$44--US$110) and $100 (US$61--US$200; median, 25%--75%), respectively (P < 0.05). Seventy-six percent of patients considered avoiding postoperative nausea and 78% of patients considered avoiding vomiting as important (> or = 50 mm on a 0--100-mm visual analog scale). Nausea or vomiting in the postanesthetic care unit, greater patient income, previous history of PONV, more importance placed on avoiding nausea and vomiting, increasing age, and being married are independent covariates that increase the willingness to pay estimates. Patients associated a value with the avoidance of PONV and were willing to pay between US$56 and US$100 for a completely effective antiemetic.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting are common and distressing postsurgical complications. Prevention or early treatment of this complication should be a goal of all anesthesia providers. This article addresses the pathophysiology of nausea and vomiting and identifies patients at risk for this complication. Pharmacological actions and side effects of commonly used antiemetics are addressed. The new serotonin antagonists and combined antiemetic therapy are highlighted.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are unpleasent for patients and increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia. PONV is the leading cause of unexpected admission following planned day surgery. Despite new anaesthetic drugs and antiemetics, the incidence of PONV remains high. The incidence of PONV depends numerous factors including age, gender, obesity, anxiety, gastroparesis, history of motion sickness, previous PONV, and the duration and type of surgery. Anaesthesia related factors include premedication, ventilation techniques, and postoperative pain management. Recently, the intraoperative inspired oxygen concentration was identified as a factor that influences PONV. Among the three studies that evaluated intraoperative supplemental O2 for prevention of PONV, two found that it halves PONV while the third failed to identify any benefit. Since supplemental O2 is inexpensive and essentially risk-free, it appears preferable to pharmacologic anti-emetics for prevention of PONV in abdominal surgery.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), a common complication after anesthesia and surgery, often results in delayed discharge with the patient's unpleasant symptoms continuing at home. To effectively prevent and treat PONV, it is important to understand the factors implicated in PONV, the mechanisms of PONV, the pharmacology of the antiemetic agents, and the nonpharmacologic measures that have been shown to be effective. The cause of PONV is likely to be multifactorial, with important predictors being female gender, history of PONV, and history of motion sickness. The vomiting center can be triggered by activation of dopamine, serotonin (type 3), histamine (type 1), and muscarinic cholingergic receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone and the nucleus tractus solitarus, as well as acetylcholine receptors in the vestibular apparatus, vagal afferents from the periphery, and the endocrine environment. Antiemetic agents such as the serotonin antagonists (eg, ondansetron, dolasetron), droperidol, antihistamines (eg, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate), and promethazine can prevent and treat PONV effectively. Transdermal scopolamine and dexamethasone have a role in the prevention of PONV, particularly for certain high-risk patients. Nonpharmacologic measures and alternative treatments such as hydration, maintaining blood pressure, acupressure techniques, trancutaneous acupoint stimulation, and isopropyl alcohol must not be overlooked. Finally, an evidence-based algorithm for the prevention and treatment of PONV in adults is presented.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are two of the most common and unpleasant side effects following anaesthesia and surgery. Despite the development of new anti-emetics and a vast amount of published research, PONV continues to be a problem, especially in high-risk patients. Recent interest has focused on the use of a combination of agents, acting on different receptors and the adoption of a multimodal approach to tackle this problem. The search for the most cost-effective strategy has also been a major goal. This article will discuss the risk factors and physiology of PONV, currently available therapies, the use of a multimodal approach and the cost-effectiveness of PONV management. Finally, recommendations for the prophylaxis and treatment of PONV will be discussed.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a frequent complication of surgery. Guidelines recommend using a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (eg, ondansetron, dolasetron, granisetron) combined with a second agent (eg, dexamethasone) for patients at moderate to high risk for PONV. Although all 5-HT3 antagonists are effective, ondansetron and granisetron have been found to be effective at substantially lower doses than those approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Metabolism of granisetron differs from metabolism of other 5-HT, antagonists, so it is less likely to adversely interact with other medications. This article explains the clinical pharmacology of 5-HT3 antagonists and provides recommendations for nursing management of PONV.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are frequent and unpleasant symptoms. This prospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of a multimodal approach to prevent PONV, and patient satisfaction using the willingness-to-pay method. Two validated risk scores were applied to forecast the individual risk for PONV in 900 consecutive patients of whom 108 were identified as high-risk patients (predicted risk: 79-87%). High-risk patients received multimodal anti-emetic prophylaxis: total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol, high fractional inspired oxygen (80%), omission of nitrous oxide, dexamethasone 8 mg, haloperidol 10 microg.kg(-1), and tropisetron 2 mg. Of the remaining patients with low or moderate risk for PONV, a random sample of 71 females received balanced propofol-desflurane anaesthesia without prophylactic anti-emetics. All patients were interviewed 2 and 24 h after surgery for occurrence of nausea and vomiting. Patient satisfaction was measured using the willingness-to-pay method. The incidence of PONV (95%-confidence interval) in the control-group was 41% (29-51%), slightly lower than predicted by the risk scores (53-57%). The multimodal anti-emetic approach reduced the predicted risk (79-87%) in the high risk-group to 7% (3-14%). This was associated with a high willingness-to-pay median (25th/75th percentile) of 84 UK pounds (33-184 UK pounds) in the multimodal anti-emetic group compared to 14 UK pounds (4-30 UK pounds) in the control group. A multimodal anti-emetic approach can considerably reduce the incidence of PONV in high-risk patients and is associated with a high patient satisfaction as measured by the willingness-to-pay method.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) affects approximately one third of patients and may lead to aspiration, dehiscence, esophageal rupture, and increased treatment costs if inadequately controlled. An important therapeutic option for prevention of PONV is 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists. Nonetheless, therapeutic failure sometimes occurs. Metabolism by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system differs among the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, and provides a rational explanation for decreased therapeutic efficacy in some patients. Four of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist agents (dolasetron, ondansetron, palonosetron, and tropisetron) are metabolized in various degrees via CYP2D6, an isoform subject to marked genetic polymorphism. In patients with duplicate CYP2D6 alleles, degradation into inactive metabolites occurs rapidly with these four 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, resulting in decreased efficacy for preventing PONV. Granisetron is the only agent in this class that is not metabolized via CYP2D6. Instead, granisetron is metabolized via the CYP3A4 isoform, which is not subject to significant genetic polymorphism. CYP2D6 genotype screening prior to PONV treatment may allow for modification of antiemetic dosing. An alternative is to use a 5-HT3 agent that is metabolized independently of the CYP2D6 isoform, such as granisetron, that would obviate the need for genotyping and may lead to improved prophylaxis of PONV.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common and distressing complications after surgery. An identification of risk factors associated with PONV would make it easier to select specific patients for effective antiemetic therapy. We designed a case-controlled study to identify the risk factors for PONV in 5,272 surgical patients. At postoperative 2 and 24 hr, patients were visited and interviewed on the presence and severity of PONV. Thirty nine percent of patients experienced one or more episodes of nausea or vomiting. Five risk factors were highly predictive of PONV: 1) female, 2) history of previous PONV or motion sickness, 3) duration of anesthesia more than 1 hour, 4) non-smoking status, and 5) use of opioid in the form of patient controlled analgesia (PCA), in the order of relevance. The formula to calculate the probability of PONV using the multiple regression analysis was as follows: P (probability of PONV)=1/1+e(-Z), Z=-1.885+0.894 (gender)+0.661 (history)+0.584 (duration of anesthesia)+0.196 (smoking status)+0.186 (use of PCA-based opioid) where gender: female=1, male=0; history of previous PONV or motion sickness: yes=1, no=0; duration of anesthesia:more than 1 hr=1, less than or 1 hr=0; smoking status: no=1, yes=0; use of PCA-based opioid: yes=1, no=0.
Postoperative nausea, vomiting and pain were compared between laparoscopic cholecystectomy group and minilaparotomy-cholecystectomy group. All patients were women, and ranged in age from 20 to 60 years. The body mass index of the patients was less than 30, and duration of operation was within 120 minutes in both groups. All patients received general anesthesia combined with epidural analgesia. Morphine hydrochloride 4 mg was administered into epidural space before incision. No significant differences were found in the incident of nausea and vomiting among the two groups. Postoperative analgesic requirement of laparoscopic cholecystectomy group was significantly less than that of minilaparotomy-cholecystectomy group. No significant differences were found in the incidence of nausea and vomiting between the group which required postoperative analgesic drugs and the group which required no postoperative analgesic drugs. These results suggest that laparoscopic operation and postoperative pain do not influence the incidence of nausea and vomiting. Postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is less than that after minilaparotomy-cholecystectomy.