Antiemesis after total joint arthroplasty: does a single preoperative dose of aprepitant reduce nausea and vomiting?

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is frequent after joint arthroplasty; in addition to causing patient distress, it interferes with early mobilization and hospital discharge. Various antiemetic agents reduce PONV, but their action is limited by a short half-life. Aprepitant, an antiemetic developed for patients receiving chemotherapy, has a duration of action much longer than other antiemetics.

We asked whether a single dose of preoperative aprepitant (40 mg orally) reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting after THA or TKA.

Fifty patients who received a preoperative dose of aprepitant (study group) were matched demographically to 50 patients who did not receive aprepitant (control group) from a group of patients undergoing THA or TKA. Patients' charts were reviewed to identify episodes of PONV, number of doses of antiemetics needed for breakthrough PONV, and length of stay. Aprepitant side effects, and complications.

Aprepitant reduced the percentage of patients with PONV (39% of study and 70% of control patients). Moderate or severe PONV occurred in 22% of study and 40% of control patients. The number of episodes of PONV during hospitalization was 2.9 for the control group and 1.6 for the study group. Postoperatively, the control group required on average 1.3 doses of ondansetron compared with 0.6 doses for the study group. Hospital length of stay was reduced from 3.3 days for the control group and to 2.3 days for the study group.

These data suggest a single preoperative dose of aprepitant reduces the number of episodes and severity of PONV, the need for additional antiemetics, and the length of stay.

Level II, prognostic study. See guidelines for authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.