title: Incidence and prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting in post-anesthetic recovery in a tertiary teaching hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is frequent and potentially a severe complication that increases the length of anesthetic recovery and causes patient dissatisfaction. The evaluation of the risk of PONV and institution of prophylactic measures aiming the well-being of patients and cost reduction are frequent in the medical literature. This observational study evaluated the incidence, risk factors, and adjustment and effectivity of the prophylaxis of PONV in the recovery room of a tertiary teaching school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information obtained from patients' records and questionnaires answered by patients included age, major predictive factors for PONV (female gender, history, absence of smoking, and postoperative use of opioids), prophylactic drugs administered, development of PONV type of surgery and anesthesia, use of nitrous oxide, clinical status, and length of stay in the recovery room.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An incidence of 18.5% of nausea and 8.5% of vomiting in the immediate postoperative period was observed. A correlation between major risk factors and the development of PONV was also observed. A correlation between those factors and prophylactic anti-emetic drugs, as well as between their use and the development of PONV, was not observed. However, a tendency to administer prophylactic medication to young female patients was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concerns of the anesthesiologists of the institution with PONV were evident. However, the absence of correlation between risk and prophylaxis suggests an empirical and ineffective procedure. Factors that were not evaluated were suggested by the absence between PONV and the use of antiemetic drugs. The orientation for anesthesiologists regarding more effective prophylactic measures can improve care of the population assisted.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Anestesia do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HC/FMUSP), São Paulo, SP. tradsp@uol.com.br
authors.forename: César Augusto Martins
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Joaquim Edson
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Fábio Ely Martins
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Benseñor
mesh_terms: D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology*; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers