Comparison of inhaled isopropyl alcohol and intravenous ondansetron for treatment of postoperative nausea

Abstract

Postoperative nausea, a common complication in patients receiving general anesthesia, was studied in this randomized investigation to compare the efficacy of 70% inhaled isopropyl alcohol and intravenous ondansetron. For the study, 100 healthy women, ASA physical status I or II, scheduled for outpatient gynecologic laparoscopic procedures randomly received 4 mg of intravenous ondansetron or isopropyl alcohol for the treatment of postoperative nausea. Nausea was measured on arrival to the postanesthesia care unit, at first complaint of nausea, every 5 minutes after initiation of therapy until nausea resolution, and every 15 minutes thereafter using a 0 to 10 verbal numerical rating scale. At 5, 10, and 15 minutes, the median verbal numerical rating scores between the ondansetron and alcohol groups were 6.00 and 3.00, 5.00 and 3.00, and 5.00 and 2.00, respectively (P = .002, .015, and .036, respectively). No statistically significant differences were found at any other time interval. Mean times from initiation of therapy to a 50% reduction in nausea between the ondansetron and alcohol groups were 6.3 minutes and 27.7 minutes, respectively (P = 0.022). Based on this study, it seems postoperative nausea can be resolved quicker using 70% inhaled isopropyl alcohol compared with intravenous ondansetron in women undergoing outpatient gynecologic laparoscopic procedures.