Re-examining Metoclopramide’s Role in Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and/or Vomiting

Abstract

Postoperative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV) continue to be two of the most undesirable and distressing complications following general anesthesia, affecting 20-30% of all surgical patients and up to 70% of patients with multiple known risk factors. Clinical guidelines recommend identifying PONV prophylactic interventions based on risk score. While the guidelines recommend several antiemetics, metoclopramide was not recommended. However, evidence used to support the guidelines is no longer considered valid. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to re-examine the use of metoclopramide and describe the incidence of subsequent PONV stratified by risk scores among adult ambulatory surgical patients.