title: Assessment of risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental study with prospective data collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at Dow Medical College University and Civil Hospital, Karachi from January to December 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on patients' characteristic, anesthesia, surgery and postoperative nausea and vomiting was collected in operating theatre, postanesthesia care unit and wards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During postoperative 24 hours period, 60 out of a total of 200 patients experienced nausea and vomiting. The factors associated with an increased risk of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) were gender (female odds ratio 3), patients with previous history of nausea and vomiting or motion sickness (odds ratio 4), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (odds ratio 3.5) and eye surgery (odds ratio 3.9), all of these were statistically significant (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the other parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of PONV was found significantly higher in female gender, patients with previous history of nausea and vomiting or motion sickness, patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and eye surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
authors.forename: Sadqa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aftab
authors.forename: Abdul Bari
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009041:Motion Sickness; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors