Scopolamine Use in the Perioperative Patient: A Systematic Review

Scopolamine is an antiemetic agent used for postoperative nausea and vomiting prevention; however, it has anticholinergic effects (eg, bradycardia, dry mouth, dizziness, visual disturbances). Avoiding scopolamine use in specific populations is crucial to prevent adverse effects and harm to patients. This systematic review describes the anticholinergic effects of scopolamine in perioperative patient populations. After searching the available literature, we reviewed the eligible articles to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria (eg, full text, English language, included a discussion of scopolamine's anticholinergic effects in perioperative patients). Twenty-six articles were included in this review. We used The Johns Hopkins Research Evidence Appraisal Tool to appraise the literature. The results of this literature review reveal that clinicians should avoid administering scopolamine to certain perioperative patient populations (ie, pediatric, older adult).