Antiemetic effect of droperidol after ophthalmic surgery
K. Iwamoto and H. Schwartz
Postoperative nausea with emesis is an undesirable side effect of general
anesthesia in patients who have undergone ophthalmic surgery. The
antiemetic effect of intravenous droperidol (Inapsine) was measured in a
double-blind, controlled study of 78 patients undergoing general (enflurane
[Ethrane]) anesthesia for a variety of ophthalmic procedures. There was a
significant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and/or
emesis in the droperidol-treated group, 13 of 78 (16%) as compared with the
control population (37 of 87 [42%]). No complications of droperidol
administration were observed. Droperidol may be an effective antiemetic
drug if used prophylactically in patients who receive general anesthesia
for ophthalmic surgery.
