title: A Comparative Evaluation of Ramosetron with Ondansetron for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Urological Procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common problem causing distress to patients in the postoperative period. Younger age, gynecological surgeries, laparoscopic surgeries, female gender, volatile anesthetics, increased duration of anesthesia, and postoperative opioid use are associated with increased incidence of PONV.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was conducted to study the efficacy of ramosetron and its comparison with ondansetron in the prevention of PONV in patients undergoing pyelolithotomy, pyeloplasty, and upper ureterolithotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients with physical status American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II, aged 20-60 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly distributed to receive either injection ramosetron 0.3 mg intravenously (IV) or injection ondansetron 6 mg IV just before extubation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the groups in age, gender, weight, duration of anesthesia, and duration of surgery. In the patients, who received ramosetron, it was observed that incidence of the episodes of nausea and vomiting increased with time after surgery. Each patient had an episode of nausea and an episode of vomiting during the 6-12 h interval. Similarly, two patients had episodes of nausea and two patients had episodes of vomiting at 18-24 h. This necessitated the increased need for rescue antiemetics with a total of four patients needing rescue antiemetics at 18-24 h. In patients receiving ondansetron, the episodes of nausea were more in number when compared with the ramosetron group. Twelve patients complained of nausea and thirteen patients had episodes of vomiting with the needfor rescue antiemetic in 14 patients. Both genders had a comparable incidence of nausea and vomiting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single dose of IV ramosetron (0.3 mg) is more effective when compared with a single dose IV ondansetron (6 mg) in the prevention of PONV. We observed that the benefit was more in the later stages of the postoperative period (12-24 h).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Samiullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mujoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Zulfiqar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jehangir
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Nargis
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qayoom
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Abdul Qayoom
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Lone
keywords: Ondansetron; postoperative nausea and vomiting; ramosetron