title: Low incidence of the oculocardiac reflex and postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults undergoing strabismus surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the incidence of the oculocardiac reflex (OCR), and of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in adults undergoing strabismus surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (18-86 yr) undergoing inpatient strabismus surgery received 10 micrograms.kg-1 atropine and 10 micrograms.kg-1 altentanil iv and were randomly allocated to: (A) 5 mg.kg-1 thiopentone iv, isoflurane/N2O maintenance; (B) 3 mg.kg-1 propofol iv, propofol/N2O maintenance (10-14 mg.kg-1.hr-1); 3 mg.kg-1 propofol iv, propofol/air/O2 maintenance (10-14 mg.kg-1.hr-1). Analyses were with the number-needed-to-treat/harm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 97 adults the absolute risk of OCR (13-20%) and PONV (21-31% after 24 hr) was low, with no differences between groups. Number-needed-to-treat to prevent PONV with propofol with or without N2O compared with thiopentone-isoflurane was 7 to 11. Number-needed-to-harm for one OCR with propofol compared with thiopentone-isoflurane was 17.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adults undergoing strabismus surgery with prophylactic atropine had a low risk of OCR and PONV, independent of the anaesthetic technique used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology and Surgical Intensive Care, University Hospital Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tramèr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuchs-Buder
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sansonetti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rifat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001285:Atropine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012024:Reflex, Oculocardiac; D013285:Strabismus / Q000601:surgery*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D001285:Atropine