Scheduled prophylactic ondansetron administration did not improve its antiemetic efficacy after intracranial tumour resection surgery in children.
OBJECTIVE
Postoperative nausea and vomiting after craniotomy may increase intracranial pressure and morbidity in children. This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blinded study was designed to evaluate the antiemetic efficacy of prophylactic ondansetron after intracranial tumour resections in children.


METHODS
Ninety children were divided into three groups and received saline (Group 1), ondansetron 150 microg kg-1 intravenously at dural closure (Group 2) or two doses of ondansetron 150 microg kg-1 intravenously, the second dose repeated after 6 h (Group 3). Episodes of nausea, emesis and side-effects were noted for 24 h postoperatively.


RESULTS
Overall 24 h incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was not significantly different among the three groups (9 (37.5%) in Group 1 vs. 7 (27%) in Group 2 and 8 (32%) in Group 3, P = 0.73). No difference in rescue antiemetic treatment or postoperative nausea and vomiting at specific time intervals (0-6 and 6-24 h postoperative period) was seen among the three groups. No significant side-effects were noted in any of the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Ondansetron, in this study of 90 children, was not very effective in preventing nausea and vomiting after neurosurgical operations.
Subramaniam
K
K
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. subramaniamk@upmc.edu
Pandia
M P
MP
Dash
M
M
Dash
H H
HH
Bithal
P K
PK
Bhatia
A
A
Subramaniam
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003399:Craniotomy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000932:Antiemetics; D017294:Ondansetron