Singapore General Hospital Experience on Ethnicity and the Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting after Elective Orthopaedic Surgeries

Abstract

Introduction . We explored how ethnicity affects the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and established the correlation of suggested risk factors of PONV in the multiethnic population of Singapore. Methods . 785 patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery were recruited. These comprised 619 Chinese (78.9%), 76 Malay (9.7%), 68 Indian (8.7%), and 22 other (2.8%) cases. The presence of possible risk factors of PONV and nausea and/or vomiting within 24 h after surgery was studied. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results . The incidence of PONV was 33.2% (261 patients). There was no statistically significant difference of PONV incidence between Chinese, Malay, and Indian cases (34.6% versus 34.2% versus 29.4%, p = 0.695 ). Indian females younger than 50 years were found to have a higher incidence of vomiting ( p = 0.02 ). The significant risk factors for this population include females, use of nitrous oxide, and a history of PONV. Conclusion . In the groups studied, ethnicity is not a significant risk factor for PONV except for young Indian females who have a higher risk of postoperative vomiting. We suggest the selective usage of antiemetic for young Indian females as prophylaxis and avoiding nitrous oxide use in high-risk patients.