Frequency and Risk Factors of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Receiving General Anesthesia – A Cross-Sectional Study

Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are among the most frequent problems after general anesthesia that can negatively impact a patient's comfort and recovery. Several factors determine the occurrence of PONV, such as patient characteristics, nature and length of surgery, anesthetic method, and use of opioids around the time of surgery. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 68 patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia at the Department of Anaesthesiology at Manipal AFC Hospital, from July 2021 to June, 2022. Adult patients aged 18 years and above were included in this study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Result: Thirty-eight patients (55.9%) were females, 50 (73.5%) were non-smokers, and 14 (20.6%) had a history of motion sickness or previous PONV, among the risk factors for PONV. Twenty, one patient (30.9%) had PONV within 24 hours; 12 (17.6%) had only nausea, and 9 (13.3%) had vomiting and nausea. The occurrence of PONV was more among females (16/38, 42.1%), patients who had surgery for >2 hours (9/16, 56.3%), and those who were given opioids postoperatively (16/40, 40.0%). The incidence also went up with increasing Apfel scores, 15.0% in low-risk, risk, 30.8% in moderate-risk, and 45.5% in high-risk patients. Conclusion: This cross-sectional study revealed that the rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was 30.9% for patients who underwent general anaesthesia. Major determiners of PONV were female gender, the length of the surgery, the use of opioids after the surgery, and a higher Apfel score.