title: Clinical predictors of anticipatory emesis in patients treated with chemotherapy at a tertiary care cancer hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical predictors of anticipatory emesis in patients treated with chemotherapy at a tertiary care cancer hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 200 patients undergoing first line chemotherapy with minimum of two cycles at inpatient department and chemotherapy bay of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Pakistan. Anticipatory nausea and vomiting develops before administration of chemotherapy. Clinical signs and symptoms in patients with or without anticipatory emesis were compared using chi square test statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the study participants was 36.68 years (SD±12.23). The mean numbers of chemotherapy cycles administered were 3.23 (SD±1.2). Chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting was experienced by 188 (94%) patients and anticipatory nausea vomiting was reported in 90 (45%) of patients. Greater proportions of patients with anticipatory emesis were females. Fourteen (15.5%) p-value=0.031 patients with anticipatory emesis had history of anxiety and depression. Fifty nine (65.5%) p-value =< 0.0001 patients with anticipatory emesis had severe nausea after last chemotherapy cycle. Forty six (51.11%) p=<0.0001 patients had motion sickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female gender, history of motion sickness, anxiety and depression, severe nausea and vomiting experienced in pervious cycle of chemotherapy were clinical predictors of anticipatory nausea and vomiting.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Fawad Qureshi, MBBS, FCPS (Medicine). Fellow Medical Oncology, Department Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. Department Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Fawad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Azhar Shafi, MBBS, FCPS (Medicine). Fellow Medical Oncology, Department Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Azhar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Sheeraz Ali, MBBS, FCPS (Medicine). Fellow Medical Oncology, Department Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sheeraz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Dr. Neelam Siddiqui, MBBS, FRCP. Department Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
keywords: Anticipatory nausea and vomiting