Post-Anesthesia Nausea and Vomiting: A Review of Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Prevention
[1]
Henry H. Rowshan, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Private Practice, Bellevue, Washington, USA.
[2]
Hooman Rowshan, Research Associate, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
[3]
Ali R. Elyassi, Oral and Maxillofacial surgery resident, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Despite all advances in the science and art of anesthesia and surgery, Pos-Anesthesia Nausea and Vomiting (PANV) continues to be a common problem with an average incidence rate of 20-30%. 1 Most patients express concern about PANV and are more worried about it than they are about postoperative pain. These patients readily are willing to pay more for their anesthesia care in order to avoid this discomforting experience. PANV has a very low morbidity rate, however, it has been linked to aspiration pneumonitis, suture wound dehiscence, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and hematoma formation in the surgical sites. Additionally, patients may experience delayed discharge from the surgical facility, prolonged nursing care, and unanticipated hospital admission leading to significant increase in health care costs.2-4The dentist anesthesiologist is at the forefront of ambulatory anesthesia care and must be familiar with the pathophysiology, pharmacological, non-pharmacological management, and preventive measures pertaining to PANV.
Anesthesia, Nausea, Vomiting, Post-Operative, Post-Anesthesia Nausea, Emesis, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Management and Prevention
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