Prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting with granisetron: a randomized, double-blind comparison with...

The effects of granisetron for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting were investigated in a randomized, double-blind comparison with droperidol and placebo in 100 patients undergoing general anaesthesia for major gynaecological surgery. The patients received a single dose of either granisetron (40 micrograms x kg(-1), n = 25), droperidol (1.25 mg, n = 25; 2.5 mg n = 25) or placebo (saline, n = 25)iv over two to five minutes immediately before induction of anaesthesia. The antiemetic effects of these drugs were evaluated during the first three and the next 21 hr after recovery from anaesthesia. During 0-3 hr after anaesthesia, the frequency of nausea and vomiting was 60%, 12%, 16% and 12% after administration of placebo, granisetron, droperiodol 1.25 mg or droperidol 2.5 mg, respectively. The corresponding frequencies during 3-24 hr after anaesthesia were 44%, 8%, 36% and 12%. The efficacy of granisetron in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting was almost equal to that of droperidol 2.5 mg. The awakening time in the patients who had received droperidol 2.5 was prolonged by approximately three minutes compared with the placebo group (P <0.05), and postoperative drowsiness/sedation was observed in these patients. In conclusion, preoperative prophylactic administration of granisetron is superior to that of droperidol in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after anaesthesia.