Ang C, Habre W, Sims C
Department of Anaesthesia, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia.
Br J Anaesth. 1998 Jun;80(6):761-3. doi: 10.1093/bja/80.6.761.
Nausea and vomiting are common after adenotonsillectomy. Tropisetron is a new, long-acting serotonin antagonist that is an effective antiemetic in adults. Its effect on postoperative nausea and vomiting in children is unknown. We carried out a randomized, double-blind study of the effects of a single i.v. dose of tropisetron on vomiting after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy in children. Forty-eight children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy received at induction of anaesthesia either tropisetron 0.1 mg kg-1 or placebo. The incidence of vomiting was recorded for the first 24 h after surgery by nursing staff and then by parents after discharge from hospital. Children received metoclopramide 0.15 mg kg-1 as a rescue antiemetic. We found that tropisetron reduced the overall incidence of emetic episodes after surgery (29% compared with 65% in control group; P = 0.019) and the incidence of severe vomiting (0% compared with 52% in control group; P < 0.001). We conclude that tropisetron is an effective antiemetic for children undergoing tonsillectomy.
