Postoperative nausea and vomiting in the recovery room - A report from Guyana

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) inpatients in the recovery room? c an delay transfer of such patients to the wards, preventing a smooth inflow of patients into the recovery area, The high incidence of these complicati ons if? developed countries has led to the introduction of management strat egies that may be too expensive for developing countries. An investigation of the incidence and factors associated with PONV if? the recovery room of the Public Hospital, Georgetown, Guyana, was undertaken with a view to deve loping an approach to its management based of local data, Seven hundred and sixty patients were studied. The majority (97%) had general anaesthesia. S imple anaesthetic techniques,involving agents were used. Antieinetics were infrequently administered Only twenty-two patients (2.9%) experienced PONV if the recovery room, all after general anaesthesia. Twenty-one of these (9 5%) had risk factors for PONV in their history. PONV in the recovery room w as associated with female gender gynaecological surgery, extra-abdominal su rgery and lack of anti-emetic medication (p < 0.05), as well as prolonged d uration of recovery room stay (p < 0. 01). A management strategy for PONV i n the recovery room involving continued use of present anaesthetic agents, increased use of inexpensive anti-emetic drugs currently available in Guyan a, and targeting of patients found to be more at risk is suggested. Increas ed regional techniques may also be appropriate.