Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine 60 Annals of Clinical and Analytical Medicine Original Research İsa Şen, Oya Kılcı, Eyüp Horasanlı, Serpil Deren, Dilşen Örnek, Nermin Göğüş Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey Postoperative pain and nausea Efect of Ondansetron and Dexamethasone as antiemetics on postoperative pain and nausea DOI: 10.4328/ACAM.20158 Received: 2020-03-10 Accepted: 2020-04-13 Published Online: 2020-04-20 Printed: 2021-01-01 Ann Clin Anal Med 2021;12(1):60-64 Corresponding Author: Dilsen Hatice Ornek, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, T.C. Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. E-mail: dilsenbaris@gmail.com GSM: +90 505 737 38 28 Corresponding Author ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3300-4839 Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the efect of the use of ondansetron and dexamethasone as an antiemetic in laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery on postoperative tramadol consumption. Material and Method: This prospective, randomized, double-blind study included 90 ASA I-II patients, aged 18-60 years who had planned to undergo laparo- scopic cholecystectomy surgery. The patients’ ECG, blood pressure, cardiac rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation were monitored. Prior to anesthesia induc- tion, an injection was administered from two syringes, which had been prepared with medications by another person. Intravenous injection of 4 mg of ondan- setron (2 ml) and saline (2 ml) was administered to Group O (n=25), injection of 8 mg of dexamethasone (2 ml) and saline (2 ml) was administered to Group D (n=25) and injection of 4 mg of ondansetron (2 ml) and 8 mg of dexamethasone (2 ml) was administered to Group OD (n=25). Standard anesthesia induction was performed on all patients and was maintained with 1-2% sevofurane, 50% nitrogen protoxide, and 50% oxygen. Immediately afer the gall bladder was re- moved, a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device was loaded with 1.5 mg/kg tramadol. The PCA device was set to a bolus dose of 30 mg with a locked period of 10 min. In all of the groups, hemodynamic changes, pain scores (numeric rating scale -NRS), analgesia consumption (mg), potential side-efects of nausea and vomiting and sedation scores were evaluated at postoperative 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes in the recovery room and at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours in the ward. Results: No statistically signifcant diference was determined with respect to the heart rate, mean arterial pressure and oxygen saturation values in the 24-hour postoperative follow-up period (p>0.05). The consumption of total tramadol was lower compared to that of ondansetron (p=0.002). In patients who received both dexamethasone and ondansetron, the pain scores and total tramadol consumption were statistically signifcantly lower from the postoperative 45th minute onwards compared to other groups (p<0.001). Discussion: The combination of ondansetron and dexamethasone was more efective in preventing severe problems of nausea, vomiting, and pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared to the use of ondansetron or dexamethasone alone. Keywords Nausea; Vomiting; Pain; Ondansetron; Dexamethasone