Perioperative clonidine administration does not reduce mortality or myocardial infraction, but does increase the risk of hypotension and non-fatal cardiac arrest.
Ondansetron, dexamethasone, droperidol and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) all have a roughly similar, productive effect to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) by about one third.
Note that the reported ’reduction in respiratory failure’ was entirely due to a small difference in post-op ventilation duration in the ICU between the groups. Significant, but perhaps not clinically remarkable.
Perioperative epidural analgesia in high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery improves analgesia but does not have other morbidity or mortality benefits.