The Effect of Intravenous Midazolam on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: A Meta-Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Research has shown that high-risk surgical patients benefit from a multimodal therapeutic approach to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Our group sought to investigate the effect of administering IV midazolam on PONV.


METHODS
This meta-analysis included 12 randomized controlled trials (n = 841) of adults undergoing a variety of surgical procedures that investigated the effect of both preoperative and intraoperative IV midazolam on PONV in patients undergoing general anesthesia.


RESULTS
Administration of IV midazolam was associated with significantly reduced PONV (risk ratio [RR] = 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-0.70), nausea (RR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.94), vomiting (RR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.45-0.82), and rescue antiemetic administration (RR = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.37-0.65) within 24 hours. Individual subgroup analyses of trials excluding the use of thiopental for induction, trials of either female sex or high-risk surgery, trials involving nitrous oxide maintenance, and trials using midazolam in combination with known antiemetics all yielded similar reductions in PONV end points within 24 hours of surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of preoperative or intraoperative IV midazolam is associated with a significant decrease in overall PONV, nausea, vomiting, and rescue antiemetic use. Providers may consider the administration of IV midazolam as part of a multimodal approach in preventing PONV.
From Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.
Michael C
MC
Grant
Jimin
J
Kim
Andrew J
AJ
Page
Deborah
D
Hobson
Elizabeth
E
Wick
Christopher L
CL
Wu
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D000932:Antiemetics; D008874:Midazolam