Oral ondansetron, tropisetron or metoclopramide to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting: a comparison in high-risk patients undergoing thyroid or parathyroid surgery.

Background: Oral antiemetic prophylaxis may be a practical alternative to intravenous administration. Intravenous ondansetron and tropisetron prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) at least as efficiently as traditional antiemetics, droperidol and metoclopramide. We tested the hypothesis that the incidence of PONV after oral ondansetron or tropisetron prophylaxis is lower compared with metoclopramide among high-risk patients.

Two percent lidocaine spinal anaesthesia compared with sevoflurane anaesthesia in ambulatory knee surgery - cost-effectiveness, home readiness and recovery profiles.

A total of 60 patients scheduled for elective knee arthroscopy were randomized to receive spinal anaesthesia (SA) with 2% lidocaine (n=30) or general anaesthesia with sevoflurane (SE) (n=30). SA and SE were compared in terms of the total costs of anaesthesia. The time to reach home readiness and the total time spent in the recovery unit (RU) were assessed.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting after sevoflurane with or without ondansetron compared with propofol in female patients undergoing breast surgery.

We studied 180 female patients undergoing breast surgery. The patients were randomly allocated to receive one of three anesthetic techniques. Compared with either propofol or sevoflurane alone, sevoflurane with ondansetron resulted in a decreased incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

One-week recovery profiles after spinal, propofol, isoflurane and desflurane anaesthesia in ambulatory knee arthroscopy.

There are comprehensive findings on the immediate recovery of patients from different types of anaesthesia, but more information is needed on how patients manage at home after ambulatory surgery. One hundred and seventy-three elective knee arthroscopy patients were randomised into four different anaesthesia groups to receive either spinal anaesthesia (SA) with 5% lidocaine or general anaesthesia (GA) with propofol infusion, isoflurane inhalation or desflurane inhalation. The patients were interviewed over the phone on the next day and asked to complete a questionnaire after 1 week.

The effects of epidural ropivacaine and bupivacaine for cesarean section on uteroplacental and fetal circulation.

Background: Ropivacaine is a new long-acting amide local anesthetic that has been shown in animal studies to have less dysrhythmogenic and cardiotoxic potential than bupivacaine. The intravenous administration of ropivacaine has not been associated with any detrimental effects on uterine blood flow in pregnant ewes. The purpose of this randomized, double-blind study was to examine the effects of epidural ropivacaine for cesarean section on blood flow velocity waveforms in uteroplacental and fetal arteries with color Doppler ultrasound and to assess whether the block modified fetal myocardial function.