A comparison of cyclizine, ondansetron and placebo as prophylaxis against postoperative nausea and vomiting in children.

Author(s): O'Brien CM, Titley G, Whitehurst P

Affiliation(s): Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK.

Publication date & source: 2003-07, Anaesthesia., 58(7):707-11.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

Nausea and vomiting is a relevant and common problem with unfavourable sequelae in children undergoing some plastic surgery procedures. There is a lack of anti-emetic trials performed in children, with only a few investigating the roles of the older anti-emetic agents such as cyclizine compared with newer ones such as ondansetron. This randomised, controlled, double-blind study examined the effectiveness of a single dose of ondansetron (0.1 mg x kg-1), cyclizine (20 mg) and placebo (normal saline) in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in 150 children (mean age 3.6 years) undergoing plastic genitourinary procedures. Rates of previous postoperative nausea and vomiting and motion sickness were comparable across the groups. Postoperative vomiting was significantly reduced with ondansetron prophylaxis (p = 0.006) but there was no detectable anti-emetic effect with cyclizine. Furthermore, cyclizine caused pain on injection (p < 0.001).