The postanesthetic antiemetic effect of premedication with dehydrobenzperidol before ether anesthesia

A study was performed to evaluate the antiemetic effects after ether anesthesia when dehydrobenzperidol (DHB) and pentobarbital were used for premedication and to compare these effects with halthane anesthesia when pentobarbital was used as premedication. Eighty-four patients undergoing minor surgical operations were randomly divided into three groups. The patients received ether and ether DHB 0.2 mg/kg or pentobarbital 2 mg/kg for premedication, or halothane and pentobarbital 2 mg/kg for premedication. The complaints of nausea and vomiting were recorded 24 h after anesthesia. We found that DHB compared to pentobarbital had a greater antiemetic effect after ether anesthesia, but the difference was not significant (P greater than 0.05). However, if only persistent nausea and vomiting were considered, the difference was significant (P less than 0.05). The incidence of nausea/vomiting after ether anesthesia with DHB as premedication was a little higher compared to halothane anesthesia with pentobarbital as premedication, but the difference was not significant (P greater than 0.05). However, if only persistent nausea/vomiting was considered, the incidence of complaints was equal in the two groups. It is concluded that when used for premedication to ether anesthesia DHB seems to lead to less postanesthetic nausea/vomiting than pentobarbital. Further DHB seems able to reduce the incidence of nausea/vomiting after ether anesthesia roughly to the level of that seen after pentobarbital premedication for halothane anesthesia.