Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Postoperative pain and postoperative vomiting (POV) are both sources of distress in the postoperative period. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) is used in patients undergoing lower extremity surgery to improve postoperative quality but is accompanied by a certain incidence of vomiting. We wanted to determine the risk factors of POV in patients using PCEA with the aim of improving the quality of the postoperative period. ⋯ The most important risk factor for POV in patients using PCEA was female gender. Among the female subgroup, the risk factors for POV included higher epidural catheter puncture site, shorter length in the epidural space and greater body height.