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GENERAL ARTICLES

The Prophylactic Effect of Dexamethasone on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Women Undergoing Thyroidectomy: A Comparison of Droperidol with Saline

Jhi-Joung Wang, MD, DMSc^*,, Shung-Tai Ho, MD^*, Shih-Chun Lee, MD, Yao-Chi Liu, MD, Yun-Hou Liu, MD, and Yuan-Chung Liao, MD

Departments of *Anesthesiology and Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center; and Department of Anesthesiology, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jhi-Joung Wang, MD, DMSc, Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital/National Defense Medical Center, No. 8, Sec. 3, Ting-Chow Rd., Taipei, Taiwan. Address e-mail to painlab{at}tpts5.seed.net.tw

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women undergoing thyroidectomy. Droperidol and saline served as controls. One hundred twenty women (n = 40 in each of three groups) undergoing thyroidectomy under general anesthesia were enrolled in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Immediately before the induction of anesthesia, Group 1 received IV dexamethasone 10 mg, whereas Groups 2 and 3 received IV droperidol 1.25 mg and saline, respectively. We found that both dexamethasone and droperidol significantly decreased the total incidence of PONV compared with saline, with an incidence of 32%, 35%, and 76%, respectively (P < 0.01; Group 1 versus Group 3, Group 2 versus Group 3). Patients who received droperidol, however, reported a higher intensity of sore throat and a more frequent incidence of restlessness than those who received dexamethasone. We conclude that, although both dexamethasone and droperidol are effective as prophylactic antiemetics in women undergoing thyroidectomy, droperidol produces more side effects.

Implications: We compared the prophylactic administration of dexamethasone to prevent nausea and vomiting with droperidol and saline in women undergoing thyroidectomy. Both dexamethasone and droperidol significantly reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting, but droperidol produced more side effects, which suggests that dexamethasone is a useful treatment in these patients.

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