Low-dose propofol for the treatment of postoperative emesis in children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of intravenous (iv), low-dose propofol for the treatment of postoperative emesis in children. We performed a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation in the ambulatory surgical unit on 90 healthy children, aged 1–16 yr following elective, outpatient surgery. After an episode of postoperative vomiting, patients were randomized to receive iv propofol, 0.25 mg kg −1, or an equivalent volume of 10% lipid emulsion (Intralipid ®). A second dose of study drug was administered if emesis recurred. All episodes of emesis and postinjection sedation scores following study drug administration were recorded. The study was terminated after analysing the results of 45 children in each group. There were no complications in either study group. We concluded that propofol 0.25 mg kg −1 was not an effective treatment for postoperative emesis in healthy children undergoing elective outpatient surgery. It is possible that increasing the dose and/or the duration of administration may improve propofol's ability to treat postoperative emesis in children.