Dexamethasone for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Optimizing Anesthesia Antiemetic Measures Versus Combination With Dexamethasone or Ondansetron in the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.

The investigators want to test the efficacy of these anesthetic antiemetic measures collectively with or without ondansetron or dexamethasone, in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

More than half of the patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy will have postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). PONV is related to surgical, anesthetic and patient factors.

We want to test the efficacy of these anesthetic antiemetic measures collectively with or without ondansetron or dexamethasone, in the prevention of PONV in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Three groups to be studied : (Group O) will receive 4 mg ondansetron, (Group D) will receive 8 mg dexamethasone and (Group P) will receive normal saline .

Inclusion Criteria:

• (ASA) grade I and II, aged (18-70 years) who are scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia at the department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan between November 2007 and March 2008

Exclusion Criteria:

• All patients who received antiemetics or cortisone within 48 hr before surgery or those who required opioids before and after surgeries
• Pregnant, breast feeding ladies
• Any patient with BMI (Body Mass Index) > 34 kg/m²
• Patient with gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, mental or psychiatric illnesses or those with history of motion sickness were also excluded from the study protocol