Operation-specific risk of postoperative nausea: a cross-sectional study comparing 72 procedures

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Postoperative nausea remains a significant concern for patients.
• Understanding procedure-specific risks is vital for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the procedure-specific, risk-adjusted probability of postoperative nausea.
• To identify key predictors influencing nausea risk across various surgical operations.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of clinical and patient-reported outcomes from the QUIPS registry (2013-2022).
• Logistic regression model utilizing data from 78,231 adult patients across 72 operation types.
• Inclusion criteria: age ≥18, ability to participate, assigned to one operation group.

Main Results:

• Adjusted absolute risk of nausea ranged from 6.2% to 36.2% based on operation type.
• Highest nausea risks observed in laparoscopic bariatric operations (36.2%), open hysterectomy (30.4%), and enterostoma relocation (29.8%).
• Predictors reducing nausea risk included male sex, antiemetic prophylaxis, and regional anesthesia; perioperative opioid use increased risk (OR up to 2.38).

Conclusions:

• Significant variability in postoperative nausea risk exists among surgical procedures.
• Certain operations necessitate targeted prevention strategies and heightened patient monitoring.
• Findings can enhance predictive tools to address unacceptably high nausea incidence and guide future interventions.