Tropisetron or droperidol in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A comparative, randomised, double-blind study in women undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
BACKGROUND
Women undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy are susceptible to postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of tropisetron or droperidol for preventing PONV after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.


METHODS
In a prospective, randomised, double-blind trial, 120 female patients received either tropisetron 5 mg or droperidol 1.25 mg intravenously at the beginning of surgery. A standard general anaesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were used. Nausea, emetic episodes and the need for rescue medication were recorded for 24 h postoperatively.


RESULTS
Nausea was experienced by 55% of the patients in the tropisetron group and by 62% in the droperidol group (ns). The incidence of emetic episodes was 20% and 52% (P=0.001) in the two groups, respectively. Rescue antiemetic medication was needed in 42% and 50% (ns) of the patients, respectively. Patients in the droperidol group were more drowsy in comparison with patients in the tropisetron group, mean sedation score being 6.7 vs 5.7, respectively (P=0.023). No difference in other side-effects was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Tropisetron, when compared with droperidol, had no better efficacy on the prevention of postoperative nausea but resulted in a significantly lower incidence of vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Department of Anaesthesiology, Lapland Central Hospital, Rovaniemi, Finland.
R
R
Jokela
M
M
Koivuranta
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004329:Droperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077526:Tropisetron
D000932:Antiemetics; D007211:Indoles; D000077526:Tropisetron; D004329:Droperidol