Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting after paediatric strabismus surgery with sevoflurane or remifentanil-sevoflurane.
BACKGROUND
In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, we evaluated and compared the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after paediatric strabismus surgery with two different anaesthetic methods, sevoflurane or remifentanil-sevoflurane.


METHODS
In total, 78 paediatric patients (aged 6-11 yr) undergoing strabismus surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups, sevoflurane (Group S) and remifentanil-sevoflurane (Group R). Anaesthesia was maintained with 2-3% sevoflurane in Group S (n=39) or with a continuous infusion of remifentanil combined with 1% sevoflurane in Group R (n=39), both using 50% N(2)O/O(2). Arterial pressure and heart rate before induction, after tracheal intubation, after skin incision, and at the end of surgery were recorded. The incidence of PONV in the post-anaesthesia care unit, the day surgery care unit, and at home 24 h after surgery was recorded.


RESULTS
Arterial pressure and heart rate were stable throughout the surgery, but were significantly lower in Group R than in Group S after tracheal intubation and skin incision. The incidence of PONV and postoperative vomiting was 17.9%/17.9% and 12.8%/10.2% (Group S/Group R) at the respective time points; values were comparable between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of PONV after paediatric strabismus surgery under sevoflurane anaesthesia was relatively low, and combining remifentanil with sevoflurane did not further increase the incidence.
Oh
A Y
AY
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
Kim
J H
JH
Hwang
J W
JW
Do
S H
SH
Jeon
Y T
YT
D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000077208:Remifentanil; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D013285:Strabismus / Q000601:surgery*
D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D010880:Piperidines; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000077208:Remifentanil