Factors associated with failure of postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis in a high complexity health center in Cali, Colombia: Case-control study

Abstract

Introduction: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) negatively impact patients undergoing surgical procedures under anesthesia. The scientific evidence on the risk factors for PONV after antiemetic prophylaxis is unsatisfactory, so there is a need to identify the factors associated with the occurrence of PONV. Objective: To identify the factors associated with failed prophylaxis for PONV in patients at Fundación Valle del Lili in 2017. Methods: Case-control study. Patients admitted to the postanesthesia care unit after having undergone surgery under general anesthesia were included. The cases were patients who, despite receiving antiemetic prophylaxis, had PONV, and those who did not develop these symptoms after prophylaxis, were considered the control group. A bivariate analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, or χ2, according to the type of variable. Finally, crude odds ratios were estimated and subsequently adjusted via a logistic regression. Results: A total of 80 cases and 332 controls were included. The median age for all patients was 47 years. Women represented 61.6% (n = 254). The variables associated with PONV were age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96-0.99, P = 0.013), female (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.66-5.47, P < 0.001) and the use of desflurane during surgery (OR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.09-7.30, P < 0.032). Conclusion: Female sex and the use of desflurane during surgery increase the odds of experiencing PONV, regardless of pharmacological antiemetic prophylaxis. Moreover, elderly patients show lower odds of developing this complication.