title: The prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting using a combination of ondansetron and droperidol.
abstract: We have studied the effect of combination antiemetic therapy (ondansetron and droperidol) with morphine delivered by patient-controlled analgesia following major gynaecological surgery. Sixty patients were randomly allocated to one of three treatment regimens; ondansetron alone (4 mg bolus and 0.13 mg.ml-1 in the morphine solution), droperidol alone (1.25 mg bolus and 0.05 mg.ml-1 in the morphine solution), or both drugs in combination. For the first 12 postoperative hours, patients receiving combination therapy experienced significantly less nausea than those receiving single antiemetic therapy (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the regimens from 12 to 18 h. We conclude that a combination of ondansetron and droperidol added to morphine in a patient-controlled analgesia system reduces postoperative nausea to a greater extent than treatment with either drug alone following major gynaecological surgery.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Anaesthesia, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wrench
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Walder
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hobbs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004329:Droperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009325:Nausea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D014839:Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D017294:Ondansetron; D009020:Morphine; D004329:Droperidol