• Neerja Bharti and Dilip Shende.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
• J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2003 Jan 1;40(1):23-6.

Background And ObjectiveStrabismus surgery is associated with a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A dose of 150 microg/kg(-1) of ondansetron has been found to be effective in reducing nausea and vomiting in pediatric patients. However, droperidol (20 to 75 microg/kg(-1)) has shown variable success with various side effects. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 25 microg/kg(-1) of droperidol and compare it with that of 150 microg/kg(-1) of ondansetron in pediatric strabismus surgery.Patients And MethodsAfter institutional approval and parental informed consent, 120 children aged 1 to 15 years were prospectively randomized into one of three groups. Group 1 received normal 'saline (placebo), group 2 received 25 microg/kg(-1) of droperidol, and group 3 received 150 microg/kg(-1) of ondansetron after induction of anesthesia. Children were assessed postoperatively for the incidence and severity of vomiting, recovery from anesthesia, and analgesic requirement for 24 hours.ResultsThere was a significant (P < .05) reduction in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the ondansetron (37.5%) and droperidol (30%) groups compared with the placebo (62.5%) group. The vomiting was also significantly less severe in these groups.ConclusionDoses of 25 microg/kg(-1) of droperidol and 150 microg/kg(-1) of ondansetron administered at induction of anesthesia are equally effective in reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery.

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