TREATMENT OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING THAT IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED DURING THE POST-ANESTHESIA CARE UNIT: A VIGNETTE-BASED SURVEY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

Main Article Content

Dr.Smithasri. Uppalapati

Keywords

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), Antiemetic therapy, Post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), Clinical practice patterns, Vignette-based survey.

Abstract

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most uncomfortable adverse effects of patients undergoing surgery and is one of the primary factors influencing their satisfaction with the anesthesia services. Although much attention has been paid to the prevention of PONV, there is little information on the treatment of proven PONV within a regular clinical scenario.


 


Methods: A questionnaire with five hypothetical clinical vignettes was dispatched to 300 anesthesiologists who were randomly chosen to provide an insight into the treatment measures of established PONV based in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Vignettes involved a description of an ambulatory surgical patient who experienced PONV due to the administration of different prophylactic regimens. The respondents were requested to specify their first and second preference of treatment, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic. Such demographic and practice characteristics were also gathered.


 


Findings: The survey was filled out by seventy-six anesthesiologists. The most commonly chosen first line treatment was 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (50%), when none had been used as prophylaxis. Even though majority of the respondents said that they had switched to another pharmacologic class due to prophylaxis failure, a significant number of respondents repeated dosing of 5-HT3 antagonists. Pharmacologic (18 agents) and non-pharmacologic (12 interventions) treatments were reported in wide range, which means that there was a significant variation in practices patterns.


 


Conclusions: The therapy of established PONV is still less uniform and does not always follow the recommendations of the consensus. The results noted here emphasize the necessity of standardized treatment recommendations, better clinical decision-making, and additional clinical trials dedicated to the most effective way of managing PONV once it occurs.


 

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