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Ondansetron, droperidol and their combination for the prevention of post-operative vomiting in children

A Klockgether-Radke1, S Neumann, P Neumann

  • 1Department of Anaesthesiology, Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Germany.

European Journal of Anaesthesiology
|July 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Droperidol and ondansetron significantly reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in children undergoing strabismus surgery. Neither drug, alone or in combination, demonstrated superiority over droperidol alone for preventing PONV.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication in pediatric surgery.
  • Effective antiemetic prophylaxis is crucial for improving patient outcomes and recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antiemetic efficacy of droperidol, ondansetron, and their combination in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
  • To compare the effectiveness of these agents against a placebo for PONV prevention.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 160 pediatric patients (ASA Grade I and II) undergoing strabismus surgery.
  • Patients were assigned to four groups: droperidol, ondansetron, droperidol + ondansetron, or placebo (NaCl).
  • Emesis incidence was recorded within the first 24 hours post-surgery.

Main Results:

  • The placebo group experienced a high incidence of emesis (95.0%).
  • Antiemetic prophylaxis significantly reduced emesis: droperidol (32.5%), ondansetron (40.0%), and combination (45.0%).
  • No statistically significant difference in efficacy was found between droperidol, ondansetron, and their combination.

Conclusions:

  • Both droperidol (75 mcg/kg) and ondansetron (0.1 mg/kg) are effective in reducing PONV in pediatric strabismus surgery patients.
  • Droperidol monotherapy appears to be as effective as ondansetron or a combination therapy for PONV prevention in this population.

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