• J C Goh, A S Ng, and K M Sim.
• Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
• Singap Med J. 1999 Mar 1; 40 (3): 144-6.

AimTo determine the incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) in the paediatric outpatient general surgical population, the factors affecting POV and the incidence of unplanned admissions contributed by POV.MethodOne hundred and ninety-nine children below 13 yeas of age undergoing elective outpatient general surgical procedures were enrolled into this prospective study. Anaesthesia was induced either intravenously or via the inhalational route. It was then maintained with nitrous oxide, oxygen and isoflurane or halothane. The age, sex, body weight, duration of fasting, administration of trimeprazine, type of general surgical procedure, maintenance technique for general anaesthesia, duration of general anaesthesia, the administration of opiods or local anaesthetics and the incidence of POV were noted. The results were analysed initially with chi-squared test and subsequently subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis and stepwise variable selection method.ResultsThe incidence of POV was 8.5%. Duration of general anaesthesia greater than one hour was associated with a significantly higher incidence of POV. Postoperative emesis did not contribute to unplanned admissions in these day surgical patients.

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