What are the risk factors for nausea and vomiting after neurosurgery? A systematic review

In their practice of post-operative neurosurgical care, nurses frequently encounter the problem of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Knowledge of risk factors for PONV can help nurses to identify groups of patients who may encounter PONV and develop related therapeutic guidelines. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and summarize risk factor research for PONV after neurosurgical procedures. Of 272 papers identified through a systematic search, 13 studies met the criteria for this review. These studies varied considerably in their outcome measurements, risk factors studied, and target populations. The timeframe of observation (for prospective studies) or chart review (for retrospective studies) ranged from one hour after surgery to the entire length of the hospital stay. For these reasons, it was difficult to compare results among the studies. Overall, the methodological quality of the studies was fair, with few studies controlling for confounders and many with limited explanations of how the risk factors and/or outcomes were measured. Despite these limitations, many authors looked at unique risk factors for neurosurgical patients such as location of surgery (i.e., infratentorial versus supratentorial), awake versus general anesthesia, and use of fat grafting for cerebral spinal fluid leak in transsphenoidal procedures. The findings may challenge traditional thinking about risk factors for PONV and guide future studies.