Double-blind comparative study of droperidol, granisetron and granisetron plus dexamethasone as prophylactic anti-emetic therapy in patients undergoing abdominal, gynaecological, breast or otolaryngological surgery

In this double-blind study the clinical efficacy of a single pre-operative intravenous dose of droperidol 1.25 mg (137 patients), granisetron 1 mg (13 0 patients) and granisetron 1 mg plus dexamethasone 5 mg (130 patients) was investigated for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynaecological surgery, breast surgery, abdominal surgery and ear, nose an d throat surgery. The incidence of nausea in the first 24 h postoperatively was 52% in the droperidol group, 48% in the granisetron group and 34% with the combination, respectively. Both granisetron and granisetron/dexamethas one performed better than droperidol in their effects on vomiting or combin ed nausea and vomiting (incidence in the first 24 h 22%, 18% and 42%, respe ctively). The number of emetic episodes during the 5-day study period was s ignificantly higher in the droperidol group (198) than in the granisetron ( 73) or combination group (78).