• Y Fujii, H Tanaka, and H Toyooka.
• Department of Anesthesiology, University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine, 2-1-1, Amakubo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki 305, Japan.
• J Anesth. 1999 Jan 1;13(3):140-3.

PurposeThe incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is relatively high when no prophylactic antiemetic is given. We have studied the efficacy of a commonly used and well-established antiemetic, droperidol, for the prevention of PONV in patients undergoing LC.MethodsIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 60 patients received placebo (saline) or droperidol 50 microg.kg(-1) (maximum dose, 2.5 mg) intravenously immediately before the induction of anesthesia (n = 30 of each). A standard general anesthetic technique was employed throughout.ResultsA complete response, defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic medication during the first 24 h after anesthesia, was 57% and 83% in patients who had received placebo and droperidol 50 microg.kg(-1), respectively ( P < 0.05). No clinically serious adverse events were observed in any of the groups.ConclusionProphylactic antiemetic therapy with droperidol 50 microg.kg(-1) (maximum dose, 2.5 mg) is highly effective for preventing PONV after LC.

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