Ondansetron therapy and post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV)

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common and most dreaded complications of any surgical experience. Despite advances in surgical techniques, anesthetics and antiemetic therapy, PONV continues to affect almost one-third of the surgical population. This percentage is even greater with patients that may be in a high-risk category. Ondansetron, a 5-hydroxytyptamine subtype three (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, is widely used to treat PONV, however there are conflicting theories related to the best time of ondansetron administration. This study pertains to the time of ondansetron administration and its efficacy postoperatively. Although there are several categories of high-risk patients for PONV, this study revolved around at least two specific categories: female population and gynecological surgeries. All assessments, including age, body mass index, and type of procedure, were collected through a retrospective chart review in two different hospital settings.