Practice of use of antiemetic in patients for laparoscopic gynaecological surgery and its impact on the early (1st two hrs) postoperative period.

There is no agreed technique for minimizing PONV (Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting) although some techniques are associated with low rate. Best practice involves identifying high risk patients and surgeries and use of prophylactic antiemetic where appropriate. Laparoscopic gynaecological surgery has high incidence of PONV (54-92%). An audit on the practice of antiemetic use in diagnostic laparoscopic gynaecological surgery was done in the department of anaesthesia of Aga Khan University Hospital from 1st January to 30th June 2006. We included all the patients scheduled for this procedure lasting less than 90 minutes. Anaesthetist involved in the audit identified the patient falling into the predetermined risk factors. The following facts about antiemetic were noted; whether the patients received any antiemetics or not, if it was prophylactic or rescue, type, dose route and timing of antiemetic. Patients were rated for any signs of nausea and vomiting (retching) after extubation in the operating room by the anaesthetist and in the recovery room or surgical day care unit (SDC) by the nurse who was briefed about it and was cross checked by the anaesthetist involved in the audit. This was done for two hours postoperatively. Our results showed that only 75% of patients with risk factors received an antiemetic. The most commonly used antiemetic was Metoclopramide. Eight percent of the patients had vomiting and all of them had received a prophylactic antiemetic. They received the same rescue antiemetic. This audit recommended institutional guidelines for the management of PONV. These should be based on evidence obtained from the published peer-reviewed studies. These guidelines could be communicated to health care workers involved in postoperative management of patients to help them achieve an optimal management strategy for this uncomfortable postoperative complication.