PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUNCT TO PERIOPERATIVE ANTIEMESIS

In a prospective, randomized study, we have examined the effects of pr eoperative and preinduction positive suggestion on postoperative emeti c sequelae. A total of 226 patients were allocated randomly to receive either positive suggestions or no suggestions. Those patients in the positive suggestion group were told before operation and on induction of anaesthesia that postoperative emetic sequelae would be greatly red uced by the use of two antiemetic drugs. Control patients were simply asked to participate in a study of postoperative well being with no me ntion of nausea or vomiting. Nausea, vomiting or retching, and antieme tic administration were measured in the first 24 h after operation. An tiemetic administration in the positive suggestion group was 16.5% les s than in the control group (P = 0.03) but there was no significant di fference between the groups in nausea or vomiting-retching.