Table 2.
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, use of rescue emetics and complete response
| Parameter | Group G (n = 40) | Group R (n = 44) | Group GR (n = 40) | P overall (P 1, P 2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postoperative 0–2 h | ||||
| Nausea (0/1/2/3) | 22*/4/10/4 | 22*/6/4/8 | 32/2/1/5 | 0.042 (0.017, 0.038) |
| Emetic episode | 4 (10.0%) | 4 (9.1%) | 4 (10.0%) | 0.987 |
| Rescue antiemetics | 4 (10.0%) | 5 (11.4%) | 5 (12.5%) | 0.939 |
| Postoperative 2–24 h | ||||
| Nausea (0/1/2/3) | 21*/7/8/4 | 22*/12/6/4 | 30/3/5/2 | 0.041 (0.036, 0.018) |
| Emetic episode | 11 (27.5%) | 10 (25.0%) | 7 (17.5%) | 0.564 |
| Rescue antiemetics | 5 (12.5%) | 6 (13.6%) | 4 (10.0%) | 0.874 |
| Postoperative 24–48 h | ||||
| Nausea (0/1/2/3) | 29*/8/1/2 | 29*/9/4/2 | 36/3/1/0 | 0.030 (0.045, 0.008) |
| Emetic episode | 2 (5.0%) | 4 (9.1%) | 1 (2.5%) | 0.416 |
| Rescue antiemetics | 2 (5.0%) | 2 (4.5%) | 1 (2.5%) | 0.831 |
| Postoperative 0–48 h | ||||
| Severe nausea | 9 (22.5%) | 11 (25.0%) | 6 (15.0%) | 0.510 |
| Emetic episode | 14 (35.0%) | 15 (34.1%) | 9 (22.5%) | 0.396 |
| Rescue antiemetics | 10 (25.0%) | 9 (20.5%) | 8 (20.0%) | 0.834 |
| Complete response | 16 (40.0%)* | 18 (40.9%)* | 26 (65.0%) | 0.038 (0.025, 0.027) |
Data presented as n (%) of patients
Group G, patients received oral gabapentin 300 mg 1 h before induction of anesthesia; Group R, patients received intravenous ramosetron 0.3 mg at the end of surgery; Group GR, patients received oral gabapentin 300 mg 1 h before induction of anesthesia and intravenous ramosetron 0.3 mg at the end of surgery
Nausea: 0, none; 1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe; emetic episode: retching or vomiting; complete response: absence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and no need for rescue antiemetic therapy during the 48-h postoperative period
P 1 = group G vs group GR; P 2 = group R versus group GR
* P < 0.05 compared with group GR