Ondansetron oral disintegrating tablets for the prevention of postoperative vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery

Strabismus surgery in pediatric patients is associated with a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Ondansetron disintegrating tablets (ODT), an oral freeze-dried formulation of the 5-HT(3) antagonist, are well-tolerated and have been shown to reduce chemotherapy-induced vomiting. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of the ODT in preventing postoperative vomiting (POV) in children undergoing strabismus repair. Healthy children aged 4–12 years of age were administered a 4 mg ODT 30 minutes prior to the induction of general anesthesia. Induction and maintenance of anesthesia were standardized; each child received acetaminophen and ketorolac pre-emptively for analgesia. This study group was compared with a historical control group who received a placebo in previously conducted identical trials of POV. The 35 children included in this study were compared with 31 controls. The incidence and severity of POV and use of rescue antiemetics were significantly lower in children who received ODT compared with placebo (p ≤ 0.001). The acute complete response (ie, no emesis and no rescue antiemetics in 24 hours) was 76% in the ODT group compared with 16% in the controls (p ≤ 0.001). Results suggest that ODT given preoperatively reduces the incidence and severity of POV in children undergoing strabismus surgery.