Costs incurred by outpatient surgical centers in managing postoperative nausea and vomiting.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To estimate the financial costs incurred by outpatient surgical centers in managing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study.

SETTING

6 hospital-based outpatient surgery centers.

PATIENTS

211 adult patients undergoing outpatient surgery for laparoscopy, dilatation and curettage, knee arthroscopy, or hernia repair.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Of the 211 patients studied, 34 experienced PONV in the recovery room. For those patients experiencing PONV, personnel, supply, and drug costs for management of this condition averaged $14.94 per patient. In addition, PONV increased the centers' operating costs by delaying patient discharge by an average of 24 minutes. A minimum estimate of this cost, based on nurses' wage rates, was $7.12. This estimate is appropriate only for short-run considerations in outpatient surgery centers that operate at low capacity. An appropriate valuation for long-run considerations and for centers operating near capacity is based on the revenue that centers lose as a result of extended stays. Lost revenue was estimated to be $415 per patient experiencing PONV.

CONCLUSIONS

PONV substantially increases the costs incurred by outpatient surgical centers.