Antiemetic effect of droperidol after ophthalmic surgery.

Postoperative nausea with emesis is an undesirable side effect of general anesthesia in patients who have undergone ophthalmic surgery. The antiemetic effect of intravenous droperidol (Inapsine) was measured in a double-blind, controlled study of 78 patients undergoing general (enflurane [Ethrane]) anesthesia for a variety of ophthalmic procedures. There was a significant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and/or emesis in the droperidol-treated group, 13 of 78 (16%) as compared with the control population (37 of 87 [42%]). No complications of droperidol administration were observed. Droperidol may be an effective antiemetic drug if used prophylactically in patients who receive general anesthesia for ophthalmic surgery.