Olanzapine as an add-on, pre-operative anti-emetic drug for postoperative nausea or vomiting: a randomised controlled trial

Olanzapine versus standard antiemetic prophylaxis for the prevention of post-discharge nausea and vomiting after propofol-based general anaesthesia: A randomised controlled trial

Background and Aims

Post-discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV) is a pertinent problem in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the novel drug olanzapine, which has proved its efficiency in patients undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy for PDNV prevention.

Methods

This randomised controlled trial recruited 106 adult patients (18-65 years) undergoing highly emetogenic daycare surgeries with propofol-based general anaesthesia (GA). Group O received preoperative oral olanzapine 10 mg, and Group C, acting as a control, received 8 mg of intravenous dexamethasone and 4 mg of ondansetron intraoperatively. The primary outcome was nausea (numeric rating scale >3) and/or vomiting 24 h after discharge. Secondary outcomes included nausea and vomiting in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), severe nausea, vomiting and side effects. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the independent samples t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables. Fisher's exact test was used to assess any non-random associations between the categorical variables.

Results

The incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting were similar in both groups within PACU (four patients experienced nausea and vomiting, three had severe symptoms in Group O, P = 0.057) and in the post-discharge period (three patients in Group O had nausea and vomiting compared to five patients in Group C, of which four were severe, P = 0.484). The side effects (sedation, dizziness, and light-headedness) were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusion

A single preoperative oral olanzapine can be an effective alternative to standard antiemetic prophylaxis involving dexamethasone and ondansetron for preventing PDNV in highly emetogenic daycare surgeries with propofol-based GA.

Olanzapine as a prophylactic antiemetic for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after general anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The antiemetic effectiveness of olanzapine, as a prophylactic off-label antiemetic drug, for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) is unknown. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the authors evaluate the efficacy and side effects of olanzapine as a prophylactic antiemetic in adult patients who undergo general anesthesia and assess adverse effects.

METHODS

A systematic search was done on electronic bibliographic databases in July 2023. Randomized controlled trials of olanzapine as a prophylactic antiemetic for PONV in adults who underwent general anesthesia were included. The authors excluded non-RCTs and retracted studies. The authors set no date of publication or language limits. The outcomes were the incidence of PONV within 24 h postoperatively and the safety of olanzapine. The risk of bias was assessed according to the tool suggested by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis included 446 adult patients. Olanzapine reduced on average 38 % the incidence of PONV. The estimated risk ratio (95 % CI) of olanzapine versus control was 0.62 (0.42-0.90), p = 0.010, I2 = 67 %. In the subgroup meta-analysis, doses of olanzapine (10 mg) reduced on average 49 % of the incidence of PONV (RR = 0.51 [0.34-0.77], p = 0.001, I2 = 31 %).

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review with meta-analysis indicated that olanzapine as a prophylactic antiemetic alone or combined with other antiemetic agents reduced the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. However, this conclusion must be presented with some degree of uncertainty due to the small number of studies included. There was a lack of any evidence to draw conclusions on side effects.

Opioid-free anaesthesia reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting after thoracoscopic lung resection: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Intraoperative opioid use has a positive relationship with postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) might reduce PONV. We investigated whether OFA compared with opioid-based anaesthesia would reduce PONV during the first 2 postoperative days among patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung resection.

METHODS

In this randomised controlled trial, 120 adult patients were randomly assigned (1:1, stratified by sex) to receive either OFA with esketamine, dexmedetomidine, and sevoflurane, or opioid-based anaesthesia with sufentanil and sevoflurane. A surgical pleth index (SPI) of 20-50 was applied for intraoperative analgesia provision. All subjects received PONV prophylaxis (dexamethasone and ondansetron) and multimodal analgesia (flurbiprofen axetil, ropivacaine wound infiltration, and patient-controlled sufentanil). The primary outcome was the occurrence of PONV during the first 48 h after surgery.

RESULTS

The median age was 53 yr and 66.7% were female. Compared with opioid-based anaesthesia, OFA significantly reduced the incidence of PONV (15% vs 31.7%; odds ratio [OR]=0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16-0.91; number needed to treat, 6; P=0.031). Secondary and safety outcomes were comparable between groups, except that OFA led to a lower rate of vomiting (OR=0.23, 95% CI, 0.08-0.77) and a longer length of PACU stay (median difference=15.5 min, 95% CI, 10-20 min). The effects of OFA on PONV did not differ in the prespecified subgroups of sex, smoking status, and PONV risk scores.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of PONV prophylaxis and multimodal analgesia, SPI-guided opioid-free anaesthesia halved the incidence of PONV after thoracoscopic lung resection, although it was associated with a longer stay in the PACU.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200059710).