Postoperative nausea and vomiting: comparison of the effect of postoperative meperidine or morphine in gynecologic surgery patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting in women receiving postoperative intravenous morphine or meperidine following gynecologic surgery.


METHODS
Prospective, double-blind, randomized study.


METHODS
Tertiary-care academic medical center.


METHODS
200 ASA physical status I, II, and III patients scheduled for elective gynecologic surgery.


METHODS
Patients received either postoperative IV morphine (n = 100) or meperidine (n = 100) following gynecologic surgery.


METHODS
We compared pain scores, sedation scores, nausea scores, well-being scores, vomiting rate, and patient satisfaction in both groups 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after arrival in the postoperative anesthesia care unit.


RESULTS
The vomiting rate was 8/100 versus 7/100 (at 15 min), 4/100 versus 26/100 (at 30 min) (p < 0.05), 3/100 versus 23/100 (at 60 min) (p < 0.05), and 0/100 versus 0/100 (at 120 min) in the morphine or meperidine groups, respectively. The pain and sedation scores were similar in both groups. No major complications were noted in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates an advantage of the use of morphine rather than meperidine for pain control in the immediate postoperative period following gynecologic surgery.
Ezri
Tiberiu
T
Department of Anesthesiology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
Lurie
Samuel
S
Stein
Arnold
A
Evron
Shmuel
S
Geva
Daniel
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008614:Meperidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine; D008614:Meperidine