Levosulpiride and Ramosetron for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Laparoscopic Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-blind Study

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) continues to be common complication of anesthesia and surgery in spite of availability of so many antiemetic drugs and regimens for prevention. This study compared Ramosetron and Levosulpiride in terms of efficacy for PONV prevention after laparoscopic surgery. AIM: To compare the efficacy of intravenous (i.v.) Levosulpiride 25 mg with i.v. Ramosetron 0.3 mg in preventing PONV. SETTING: S. D. M. College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Sattur, Dharwad from November 2018 to June 2020. DESIGN: It is a prospective randomized double-blind study. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: All the data were collected, tabulated, and expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 22.0 Evaluation version). Unpaired sample t-test and Chi-square test have been used for the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. A P value of 0.05 was considered statistically insignificant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective randomized, double-blind study was conducted in 200 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery falling under the inclusion criteria are numbered and every nth patient selected by systemic random sampling procedure and allocated into two groups of 100 each, group Levosulpiride (Group L) and group Ramosetron (group R) study drugs givenwithin 30 min induction of anesthesia. Group L will receive LEVOSULPIRIDE 25 mg i.v. Group R will receive RAMOSETRON 0.3 mg i.v. RESULTS: The incidence of vomiting in the Levosulpiride group and in the Ramosetron groupduring 0-4 h (20% vs. 30%, P = 0.1110), 4-8 h (4% vs. 5%, P = 0.7450), 8-12 h (5% vs. 4% P = 0.7210) and 12-24 h (0% vs. 0%). The incidence of nausea and overall PONV and the use of rescue antiemetic was not significantly different during all time intervals. The severity of nausea was not different between the two groups. Difference in the efficacy of Levosulpiride and Ramosetron was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05) in the prevention of PONV. CONCLUSION: Levosulpiride 25 mg or Ramosetron 0.3 mg given intravenously to prevent PONV inpatients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia are equally effective in controlling PONV.