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Motion sickness and postoperative vomiting in children
Paolo Busoni1, Armando Sarti, Massimo Crescioli
1Ospedale Pediatrico 'A. Meyer', Firenze, Firenze, Italy. p.busoni@ao-meyer.toscana.it
Paediatric Anaesthesia
|February 19, 2002
Summary
Children with a history of motion sickness are more prone to postoperative vomiting. Sevoflurane is associated with a lower incidence of vomiting in children without a history of motion sickness compared to halothane.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Postoperative Care
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Motion sickness is a significant risk factor for postoperative nausea and vomiting in children.
- Understanding this link is crucial for optimizing pediatric surgical care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of motion sickness on vomiting incidence after routine pediatric surgery.
- To compare vomiting rates using halothane versus sevoflurane in pediatric anesthesia.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study of 420 children undergoing common pediatric surgery with combined anesthesia.
- Children were randomized into two groups: halothane (n=200) or sevoflurane (n=220).
- Data collected on prior history of motion sickness and postoperative vomiting episodes.
Main Results:
- Children with a history of motion sickness (MS+) had higher vomiting rates than those without (MS-).
- Vomiting incidence was similar between halothane and sevoflurane groups in MS+ children (approx. 33%).
- MS- children showed significantly higher vomiting incidence with halothane (19%) than sevoflurane (8%).
Conclusions:
- Postoperative vomiting is more frequent in children with a history of motion sickness, irrespective of the anesthetic agent.
- Sevoflurane use is associated with a lower incidence of vomiting in children without a history of motion sickness compared to halothane.