TROPISETRON REDUCES VOMITING AFTER TONSILLECTOMY IN CHILDREN

Nausea and vomiting are common after adenotonsillectomy. Tropisetron i s a new, long-acting serotonin antagonist that is an effective antieme tic in adults. Its effect on postoperative nausea and vomiting in chil dren is unknown. We carried out a randomized, double-blind study of th e effects of a single i.v. dose of tropisetron on vomiting after tonsi llectomy with or without adenoidectomy in children. Forty-eight childr en undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy received at inductio n of anaesthesia either tropisetron 0.1 mg kg(-1) or placebo. The inci dence of vomiting was recorded for the first 24 h after surgery by nur sing staff and then by parents after discharge from hospital. Children received metoclopramide 0.15 mg kg(-1) as a rescue antiemetic. We fou nd that tropisetron reduced the overall incidence of emetic episodes a fter surgery (29% compared with 65% in control group; P = 0.019) and t he 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.