DOES ORAL ONDANSETRON REDUCE THE INCIDENC E OF NAUSEA AND VOMITING AFTER STRABISMUS SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Objective: To compare the efficacy of oral ondansetron with oral metoc lopramide for the prevention of postoperative vomiting and nausea in c hildren undergoing strabismus surgery. Study design: Prospective, rand omized, double-blind trial. Patients: Thirty children of physical clas s 1, age 9 +/- 4 years, scheduled for strabismus surgery, were randomi zed into two groups (ondansetron and metoclopramide). Methods: In the ondansetron group, the children received the first oral dose of ondans etron (4 mg) 1 hour before induction of anaesthesia and the other dose s 8 and 16 hours later. In the metoclopramide group. children received metoclopramide (5 mg) in the same conditions. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone, vecuronium and fentanyl and maintained with halotha ne and N2O/O-2. Patients were evaluated by an independent observer for nausea and emesis in recovery room (0-2 h) and on the ward. The adver se effects of oral ondansetron and metoclopramide were assessed. Resul ts: There were non-significant differences between the two groups for incidence of nausea and vomiting (40% and 53% in ondansetron group ver sus 33 and 60% in metoclopramide group, respectively). Conclusion: Unl ike intravenous ondansetron, oral ondansetron is not superior to metoc lopramide for the prevention of nausea and vomiting caused by strabism us surgery in children.