Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 10, 30-36, Copyright © 1963 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Observations on Postoperative Vomiting

¹ Department of Anaesthesia, University of Western Ontario, and Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario

We have selected 123 patients who vomited twice following complete recovery from anaesthesia; these were then treated with anti-emetic drugs. Children and patients with gastric suction were excluded. The incidence of this degree of vomiting was 3.6 per cent. Most of our patients were females. There was a higher incidence of vomiting than expected following caesarian section, ophthalmic surgery, and gynaecological operation but not after abdominal operations. The duration of the operation, the type of anaesthesia, the position of the patient, and the preoperative medication did not appear to have a significant influence. About 50 per cent of the patients did not vomit after receiving treatment. Of the two main drugs used, prochlorperazine proved to be more effective than trimethobenzamide. In patients where an initial injection of anti-emetic had not abolished vomiting, subsequent treatment with the same drug or with another anti-emetic was less effective. Since vomiting may develop into a major postoperative complication in patients of this last group special attention should be directed to their management and these patients should be taken into consideration when the therapeutic value of an anti-emetic drug is investigated.

Note:

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society, Montebello, Quebec, May 14 to 17, 1962.