Comparison of different prediction models for the occurrence of nausea and vomiting in the postoperative phase : Asystematic qualitative comparison based on prospectively defined quality indicators

Abstract

Various prognostic prediction models exist for evaluating the risk of nausea and vomiting in the postoperative period (PONV). So far, no systematic comparison of these prognostic scores is available. Asystematic literature search was carried out in seven medical databases to find publications on prognostic PONV models. Identified scores were assessed against prospectively defined quality criteria, including generalizability, validation and clinical relevance of the models. The literature search revealed 62relevant publications with atotal of 81,834 patients which could be assigned to 8prognostic models. The simplified Apfel score performed best, primarily because it was extensively validated. The Van den Bosch score and Sinclair score tied for second place. The simplified Koivuranta score was in third place. The qualitative analysis highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each prediction system based on predetermined standardized quality criteria.