Comparison of antiemetic activity of palonosetron with granisetron in postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic gynaecological surgeries

Abstract

Background: Granisetron is currently one of the commonly used drugs for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) which is one of the most common distressing complications of laparoscopic surgeries and anesthesia. Palonosetron has emerged as alternative for PONV in adults. Thus, the study was aimed to conduct a comparison of the efficacy and adverse effects of granisetron with palonosetron to prevent PONV in patients undergoing general anaesthesia for elective laparoscopic gynaecological surgeries. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, double blinded and a comparative study and was performed in Lokmanya Municipal Medical College and general Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, India on 60 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic gynaecologic surgeries, requiring general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Results: Both granisetron 2.5 mg and palonosetron 75 µg are comparable in all respects. They have almost similar incidences in nausea, retching, vomiting and administration of rescue antiemetic at 0-2 hrs, 3 hrs, 12 hrs and 24 hrs postoperatively. The values were not significantly different. The adverse effects seen with both the drugs were not statistically significant. Conclusions: From the study this can be concluded that both the drugs are effective as prophylactic antiemetic in preventing PONV in laparoscopic gynaecological surgeries which are supposed to be highly emetogenic surgery.