Factors Affecting Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Surgical Patients

This study was to identify factors affecting postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and to investigate the incidence of PONV for the first 24 hours after operation.

The prospective research was performed in an 1,100-bed university hospital, from April to December, 2011. The sample consisted of 609 patients with elective surgery.

Factors affecting PONV were identified by multiple logistic regression.

Incidence of PONV was 27.1% for the first postoperative 24 hours. Insertion of nasogastric tube (OR, 4.54, P = .002), history of PONV (OR, 3.24, P < .001), general anesthesia (OR, 2.76, P = .002), history of motion sickness (OR, 2.33, P < .001), and female sex (OR, 2.05, P = .004) were high risk factors of PONV. The nonadministration of antiemetics during operation (OR, 1.70, P = .014) and nonuse of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (OR, 1.54, P = .038) increased PONV during the first postoperative 24 hours.

Patients of female gender, history of motion sickness and PONV, general anesthesia, and nasogastric insertion are more likely to experience PONV.