BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) continues to be a common complication of surgery and patients report that avoidance of PONV is of greater concern than avoidance of postoperative pain. The overall incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting has been reported to be in the 20-30%. The incidence of PONV in the recovery room was 9-10% but it was increased 30% during the first 24 hours after surgery. This retrospective study was designed to find the incidence of PONV in immediate postanesthetic period as well as the difference in incidence of PONV due to gender, age, duration of surgery, different inhalation agents and method of patient controlled analgesia.

METHODS: The anesthesia and postanesthesia records for 12,895 patients receiving surgery under general and regional anesthesia between September 2001 and August 2002 one year were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS: The overall incidence of nausea, vomiting and nausea/vomiting (either nausea, vomiting or both) in immediate postanesthetic period was 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.9% of patients, respectively. The incidence of nausea, vomiting and nausea/vomiting in immediate postanesthetic period was significantly higher in female than in male, general anesthesia with enflurane than with sevoflurane or isoflurane, and patients receiving patient controlled analgesia (PCA) via intravenous route than via epidural route. The incidence of nausea, vomiting and nausea/vomiting in immediate postanesthetic period was significantly lower in surgery duration less than 60 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with female gender, intravenous PCA and under enflurane anesthesia had significantly higher incidence of nausea, vomiting and nausea/vomiting in immediate postanesthetic period.