AANA journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of inhaled isopropyl alcohol and intravenous ondansetron for treatment of postoperative nausea.
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. ⋯ 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.