title: Documentation of post-operative nausea and vomiting in routine clinical practice.
abstract: This study investigated the quality of documentation of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) by comparing incidences collected by a research team with those reported routinely by nursing personnel. A total of 560 patients passing through an interdisciplinary recovery room were included in the study. The overall recorded incidence of PONV over 24 h was 30.7%, which was in agreement with the predicted value of 32% calculated using incidences from published randomized controlled trials. Out of the total number of 86 cases of PONV in the recovery room only 36 (42%) were detected by nursing staff. Similarly, out of the total number of 129 cases of PONV on the ward over 24 h, only 37 (29%) were recognized by nursing staff during routine care. In conclusion, PONV in routine clinical care is likely to be under-reported. To use PONV as a valid quality measure, patients need to be actively asked about nausea and vomiting at frequent intervals in a standardized fashion. A considerable proportion of patients experience PONV after discharge from the recovery room, so the assessment of PONV should cover at least 24 h post-operatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franck
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Radtke
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Apfel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhly
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baumeyer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wernecke
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Spies
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011997:Recovery Room; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics