RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING TO DETERMINE ANTIEMETIC ACTIVITY OF DROPERIDOL ADDED TO PROPOFOL - A POSSIBLE DRUG-INTERACTION

Propofol decreases the frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting. We investigated whether its antiemetic activity could be improved fur ther by coadministration of droperidol. We retrospectively reviewed th e records of 266 women who underwent laparoscopic operations with nitr ous oxide anesthesia and thiopental or propofol induction. The records were screened for frequency and time of occurrence of nausea and vomi ting, concurrent drug use, duration of surgery, and times of recovery room admission and discharge. The combination of droperidol and thiope ntal decreased the frequency of nausea and vomiting over droperidol pl us propofol, propofol alone, and thiopental alone. The addition of dro peridol to propofol anesthesia doubled the frequency of multiple nause a and vomiting episodes, suggesting a possible interaction between the drugs. We cannot recommend that droperidol be added to propofol anest hesia for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting.