A STUDY of efficacy of clonidine for prevention of post anaesthetic nausea and vomiting after major abdominal surgery .

Abstract

Recently more emphasis has been placed on the avoidance of postoperative nausea and vomiting, as it' may interfere �ith patients fitness and it is one of the major causes of hospital readmission after a day-case surgery.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting may cause wound dehiscence, I

intraocular bleeding and bleeding under skin flaps, especially in the upper part of the body. In addition it may expose the patient to risk of pulmonary aspiration. Moreover, postoperative nausea and vomiting may be the most )

troublesome aspect of the patient's operative experience.

The aim of this work was t� evaluate the efficacy of clonidine in a dose of 2mcg/kg as a prophylactic therapy for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after major abdominal surgery.

This study was carried out on 60 adult patients of both sexes (ASA class I and II) scheduled for major abdominal surgery under general anaesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated into one of two groups (thirty patients each) according to the drug to be studied

Group I: Patients received placebo lOml normal saline pnor to induction of anaesthesia. Group II: Patients received clonidine 2 mcg I kg l.V. prior to induction of anaesthesia.

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