[The development of postoperative nausea and vomiting care]

Nausea and vomiting is a common post-operative complication that exacerbates patient discomfort and puts tension on suture lines, which may cause hematomas beneath surgical flaps and place patient at risk of aspiration pneumonia. Nausea and vomiting decreases patient comfort and satisfaction and increases hospital stay length and costs. Postoperative nausea and vomiting are common occurrences. Nurses typically give medicine in accordance with doctors' orders without understanding patient symptoms. Such results in less than optimal holistic care management. This situation encouraged the author to collect references on current international trends related to postoperative nausea and vomiting treatment in the clinical setting. The author further worked to recommend a care management protocol based on findings. This paper describes risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting and the related drugs, prevention procedures, and treatment recommendations. Finally, the author developed a simple care flow chart suited for use in internal clinical situations that may provide a valuable reference for medical professionals.