The Effects of Glycopyrrolate as Premedication on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Abstract

Background:Glycopyrrolate is often used as a premedication for anesthesia as it has anti-sialogogue and vagolytic effect. Patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery have high-risk of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV). Objectives:This retrospective study investigates the effect of glycopyrrolate as a premedication for PONV in patients receiving fentanyl-based Intravenous (IV) Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) after laparoscopic gynecological surgery. Methods:We reviewed the medical records of adult patients who received fentanyl-based IV-PCA after laparoscopic gynecological surgery at Chung-Ang University Hospital between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2016. We classified patients into two groups on the basis of glycopyrrolate premedication: non-premedicated group (Group N; n = 316) and glycopyrrolate premedicated group (Group P; n = 434). The Propensity Score Matching Method (PSM) was used to select 157 subjects in Group N and P, on the basis of their covariates which were matched with a counterpart in the other group. Results:Prior to PSM, the necessities for rescue anti-emetics were lower on Postoperative Day (POD) 0 (58[18.4%] vs. 45[10.4%], P = 0.002) and POD1 (60[19.0%] vs. 59[13.6%], P = 0.046), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain on POD 1 (2.86 ± 1.49 vs. 3.13 ± 1.53, P = 0.017) was higher in group P. After PSM, the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score for nausea (0.38 ± 0.75 vs. 0.21 ± 0.62, P = 0.027) and rescue anti-emetics (27 [17.2%] vs. 15 [9.6%], P = 0.047) on POD 0 were both lower in the group P. Conclusion:In patients receiving fentanyl-based IV-PCA after laparoscopic gynecological surgery, the severity of nausea and necessity for rescue ant-emetic was lower in the glycopyrrolate premedication group.PONV causes a lot of discomfort to patients undergoing surgery, and can increase the length of hospital stay and overall medical cost [4].The risk factors of PONV can be divided into three main categories. Firstly, there are surgical factors such as the duration of operation and kinds of surgeries performed (laparoscopic surgery, gynecologic surgery, breast surgery, thyroid surgery, etc.). Secondly, there are anesthetic factors,