Effect of Local Cold Application on Nausea and Vomiting in Early Postoperative Period-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common complications in surgical patients during the first 24 hours after general anesthesia. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of cold application on early PONV and antiemetic drug requirements.

The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial.

The patients (N = 60) who were undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The Apfel risk scoring system was used preoperatively to evaluate the risk of PONV. The intervention group received a cold application to the neck with a cold gel pack for 5 minutes in the postanesthesia care unit. The nausea scale was used to assess patients' complaints, and the satisfaction scale was used to determine satisfaction. Data were collected at 0 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 hours, and 6 hours postoperatively.

The results demonstrated that application of a cold gel pack to the neck of patients did not result in a notable difference in the severity of nausea at 5 minutes and 6 hours. However, it was determined that the intervention group exhibited a more significant reduction in nausea at 2 hours. Additionally, the intervention group showed a significantly higher level of satisfaction at 6 hours postoperatively (P < .05).

The findings suggest that applying a cold gel pack to the nape of the neck for 5 minutes after surgery positively affects nausea severity and improves patient satisfaction, but does not significantly impact vomiting incidence or antiemetic use.