Antiemetic efficacy of high-dose corticosteroids and droperidol in cisplatin-induced emesis: a controlled trial with droperidol and metoclopramide.

The nausea and vomiting associated with cisplatin chemotherapy make care of the patient more difficult for nurses and physicians, can cause severe metabolic and pathologic sequelae, and preclude further courses of chemotherapy. Current reports suggest that the two most efficacious agents for antiemetic prophylaxis are metoclopramide and corticosteroids. These two agents in combination with droperidol have been compared in a randomized controlled prospective fashion. Patients had less nausea and vomiting on the steroidal regimen than the nonsteroidal regimen (P less than 0.05), and the duration of nausea and vomiting was significantly less on the steroidal regimen (P less than 0.05). Patients expressed a preference for the steroidal regimen over the nonsteroidal one and the steroidal regimen retained its antiemetic effectiveness through repeated courses of chemotherapy. The results of the study suggest that corticosteroids and droperidol are superior antiemetic agents for cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting.