Randeep A.M.1, Sunilkumar T.S.2, Shamsad Beegum T.S.3, Satheedevi P.4, Reshma Rajkumar5
BACKGROUND
Nausea and vomiting are very frequently encountered with the use of
anaesthetic techniques for surgical procedure. This study was done to compare
the efficacy of palonosetron and ondansetron for prevention of post-operative
nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing thyroidectomy under general
anaesthesia.
METHODS
This one year observational study was conducted in the Department of
Anaesthesiology, Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala state undergoing
thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia and getting antiemetic interventions of
either palonosetron or ondansetron. A total of 68 patients were included in this
study in two groups of 34 patients each. The patients who received iv
palonosetron were included in Group A (Palonosetron group) and patients who
received iv ondansetron were included in Group B (Ondansetron group). Patients
with previous history of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), gastro
oesophageal reflux disease, motion sickness, and obese patients were excluded.
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was recorded for 24 hours and
recorded in the following intervals. 0 - 4 hours, 5 - 8 hours, 9 - 12 hours and 13
- 24 hours in the postoperative period.
RESULTS
Although the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower in the
palonosetron group compared with the ondansetron group for 24 hours (5.9 -
11.8 %), the results were statistically not significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting is statistically not different in
patients who had received palonosetron in comparison to those who had
received ondansetron in patients undergoing thyroidectomy surgeries under
general anaesthesia. From the study we conclude that palonosetron is similar to
ondansetron in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients
undergoing thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia.
