Antiemetic effect of perphenazine versus prochlorperazine intravenously before cisplatin therapy

Antiemetic effects of perphenazine and prochlorperazine, both administered by continuous i.v. infusion after a loading dose, were compared in patients receiving cisplatin. Study subjects were 6 men and 13 women for whom other antiemetic therapy had failed; each patient was studied during two courses of cisplatin therapy. Patients were randomly selected to receive either perphenazine or prochlorperazine during the first course; for the second course, each received the other antiemetic. During drug administration, nausea, retching, vomiting, and side effects of the antiemetic were recorded hourly by the patient and concurrently by a pharmacist observer (both blinded). Each patient's scores on nausea, retching, and vomiting were compared by drug and by treatment sequence. Evaluable data for 17 patients showed that aggregate differences between responses to the two drugs were not significant. Fourteen patients had significantly less nausea, retching, and vomiting during the second course of treatment. Few side effects were reported. Nervousness was experienced with prochlorperazine in four patients and perphenazine in one, and drowsiness occurred with prochlorperazine in four patients and perphenazine in three. Perphenazine and prochlorperazine, when given in equal doses and administered by continuous i.v. infusion after a loading dose, were equally effective in controlling nausea and vomiting associated with cisplatin therapy.