Propofol Infusion and the Incidence of Emesis in Pediatric Outpatient Strabismus Surgery

• Published in: Anesthesia and analgesia Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 760 - 764
• Main Authors: Weir, Patricia M., Munro, Hamish M., Reynolds, Paul I., Lewis, Ian H., Wilton, Niall C. T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD International Anesthesia Research Society 01.04.1993; Lippincott
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Double-Blind Method; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Halothane; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Medical sciences; Nitrous Oxide; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Propofol - therapeutic use; Prospective Studies; Strabismus - surgery; Toxicity: digestive system; Vomiting - etiology; Vomiting - prevention & control; Human; Postoperative; Strabismus; Intravenous administration; Toxicity; General anesthesia; Eye disease; General anesthetic; Vomiting; Surgery; Digestive diseases; Oculomotor syndrome; Child
• ISSN: 0003-2999; 1526-7598
• DOI: 10.1213/00000539-199304000-00013

A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to examine the effect of a propofol infusion on the incidence of postoperative emesis in children undergoing Outpatient strabismus surgery. Seventy-eight children, aged 3–12 yr, were allocated randomly to receive either nitrous oxide and halothane or nitrous oxide and a propofol infusion for the maintenance of anesthesia. The overall incidence of vomiting during the first 24 h was 64% in those receiving halothane and 41% in those receiving the propofol infusion; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In children who received no opioids postoperatively, the incidence of vomiting in the first 24 h was 71% in the halothane group and 24% in the propofol group; this difference was also significant (P = 0.001). We conclude that propofol was effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative emesis in pediatric outpatient strabismus surgery.