Antipruritic and antiemetic effect of epidural droperidol: comparative study between single and continuous epidural injection.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate whether single epidural droperidol or continuous epidural droperidol inhibit pruritus and postoperative nausea and vomiting induced by postoperative continuous epidural fentanyl administration, and to identify the optimal method of administering epidural droperidol.


METHODS
120 ASA I-II patients undergoing subtotal gastrectomy with general anaesthesia combined with epidural anaesthesia were randomly allocated into three groups: control (no droperidol), single injection (droperidol 2.5 mg) and continuous group (droperidol 2.5 mg 2 day(-1)). Postoperatively the frequency and severity of pruritus and postoperative nausea and vomiting in all groups were compared during 48 h.


RESULTS
The frequency and severity of pruritus was significantly lower in both single injection and continuous groups than control group after epidural fentanyl administration (P < 0.05). The frequency and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting was significantly lower in single injection group than control group after epidural fentanyl administration (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Epidural continuous droperidol is effective for reducing pruritus, and single epidural droperidol injection is effective for reducing pruritus and postoperative nausea and vomiting induced by postoperative continuous epidural fentanyl analgesia.
Lee
I H
IH
Department of Anesthesiology, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Lee
I O
IO
D000368:Aged; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000982:Antipruritics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004329:Droperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery
D000932:Antiemetics; D000982:Antipruritics; D004329:Droperidol