title: Ondansetron 4 mg for the prevention of nausea and vomiting after minor laparoscopic gynaecological surgery.
abstract: We studied the efficacy and safety of intravenous ondansetron 4 mg for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after minor gynaecological laparoscopic surgery in Oriental women. This double-blind randomised study compared ondansetron with placebo, given before the induction of anaesthesia. The anaesthetic technique used thiopentone, fentanyl, atracurium, nitrous oxide and isoflurane. Patients were studied for 24 h with nausea assessed using a verbal numeric scale from 0-10 and emetic episodes recorded as they occurred. Results were available for 102 patients in each group. In the first postoperative hour, fewer patients in the ondansetron Group (12%) had emetic episodes compared with the placebo group (33%, P < 0.01). Nausea score over the first hour (sum of three readings at 0, 30 and 60 min) was lower in the ondansetron group (median 1.6) compared with the placebo group (3.1, P < 0.05). Over the 24 h period, fewer patients in the ondansetron group had emetic episodes (25%) or nausea (43%) compared with patients in the placebo group (56%, P < 0.01) and (58%, P < 0.05) respectively. No adverse events were seen. Ondansetron 4 mg was more effective than placebo in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting throughout the 24 h after minor laparoscopic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Suen
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gin
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Rowbottom
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Critchley
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008614:Meperidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000150:complications; D009325:Nausea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D011292:Premedication; D011346:Prochlorperazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014839:Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D017294:Ondansetron; D008614:Meperidine; D011346:Prochlorperazine