Gastric aspiration at the end of anaesthesia does not decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting

Two hundred and one women undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy were anaesthetised with isoflurane in nitrous oxide and oxygen. At the end of anaesthesia the stomach was aspirated in half of the patients, selected in random order. In the other half no aspiration was performed. Incidence and severity of emesis (none, nausea, retching or vomiting) was assessed during the first 24 hours after operation. Emesis was similar after the operation regardless of aspiration of the stomach (overall emesis, 79% and 70% for those whose stomach had and had not been aspirated, respectively). The incidence at all times during the 24 hours was similar in both groups. The results suggest that gastric aspiration at the end of anaesthesia has no major effect on the incidence or severity of postoperative emesis in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy.