Comparison of Ondansetron and Droperidol in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting After Inpatient Minor Gynecologic Surgery

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Abstract
Ondansetron and droperidol are both effective in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).In this randomized, double-blind study, 80 in-patients scheduled for minor gynecologic surgery received either ondansetron 8 mg intravenously (IV) or droperidol 2.5 mg IV 5 min prior to induction of isoflurane-narcotic anesthesia. PONV was absent in 68% of the patients after ondansetron and in 88% after droperidol (P < 0.05). The respective times of complete arousal from anesthesia were 171 min and 229 min (P < 0.001). After ondansetron and droperidol, the incidence of severe drowsiness, restlessness, anxiety, or dizziness was 5% and 28%, respectively (P < 0.01). Thus after minor gynecologic surgery, droperidol 2.5 mg IV was superior to ondansetron 8 mg IV in the prevention of PONV. However, relative to ondansetron, droperidol entailed an average 1-h delay in recovery from anesthesia. (Anesth Analg 1995;81:603-7)