BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) frequently hampers implementation of laparoscopic surgery in spite of so many antiemetic drugs and regimens. This study was to compare the efficacy of Ramosetron and Ondansetron in (PONV) after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. MATERIALS & METHODS: 124 adult patients of either sex, of ASA physical status I and II, scheduled for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy operation, were randomly allocated into Group A (n=62) patients received IV Ondansetron 4mg and Group B (n=62) patients received IV Ramosetron (0.3 mg). Drug was administered prior to induction of GA. Episodes of PONV were compared between the groups at 4 hrs,4.5 hrs,5 hrs,5.5 hrs and 6 hrs post-operatively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The raw data analyzed by SPSS Ⓡ Ⓡ Ⓡ Ⓡ statistical package version 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Numerical variables were compared by independent sample t test. Chi square test, Officers exact test and Fischer's exact test were used to compare categorical variables between groups. All analysis were two tailed and a P<0.05 was considered statistically significant RESULTS: Statistically significant difference between groups A and B (P <0.05), was found showing that Ramosetron was superior than Ondansetron in antiemetic efficacy and Ramosetron emerged as a better antiemetic than Ondansetron in 1st12 hrs post-operative period. The post-operative mean Visual Analogue Scale( VAS) scoring for the severity of PONV between the two study groups at 4 hrs and 6 hrs post operative period, revealed that there was statistically significant difference between the two groups , showing that severity of nausea was more in case of Ondansetron than Ramosetron. CONCLUSION: So, it was evident that single dose preoperative administration of IV Ramosetron ( 0.3 mg ) has better efficacy than IV Ondansetron ( 4 mg ) in reducing the episodes of PONV over 12 hours postoperative period in patients undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy under GA.
DISCUSSION:The complex act of vomiting involves coordination of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and abdominal musculature and is controlled by the emetic center. The area situated in the lateral reticular formation close to the tractus solitarius in the brain stem is thought to be the emetic center. [1,2,25] Stimuli from several areas within the central nervous system can affect the emetic center. [1] These include afferents from the pharynx, gastrointestinal tract and mediastinum, as well as afferents from the higher cortical centers (including the visual center and the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve) and the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) in the area postrema. The area postrema of the brain is rich in dopamine, opioid, and serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT3) receptors. Four major neuro transmitter systems appear to play important roles in mediating the emetic response viz. dopaminergic, histaminic (H1), cholinergic, muscarinic and 5HT3. [1] As there are four different types of receptors, there are at least four sites of action of the antiemeti...