Background and objective: Postoperative nausea and vomiting after craniotomy may increase intracranial pressure and morbidity in children. This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blinded study was designed to evaluate the antiemetic efficacy of prophylactic ondansetron after intracranial tumour resections in children.
Methods: Ninety children were divided into three groups and received saline (Group 1), ondansetron 150 microg kg-1 intravenously at dural closure (Group 2) or two doses of ondansetron 150 microg kg-1 intravenously, the second dose repeated after 6 h (Group 3). Episodes of nausea, emesis and side-effects were noted for 24 h postoperatively.
Results: Overall 24 h incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was not significantly different among the three groups (9 (37.5%) in Group 1 vs. 7 (27%) in Group 2 and 8 (32%) in Group 3, P = 0.73). No difference in rescue antiemetic treatment or postoperative nausea and vomiting at specific time intervals (0-6 and 6-24 h postoperative period) was seen among the three groups. No significant side-effects were noted in any of the three groups.
Conclusions: Ondansetron, in this study of 90 children, was not very effective in preventing nausea and vomiting after neurosurgical operations.