PONV score

Q: Which group of patients is more prone to have postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)? (select one)

A) smokers

B) nonsmokers

Answer: B

A few of the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting are

• female gender
• nonsmoker
• postoperative opioid administration
• history of motion sickness

There is a validated simplified risk score to evaluate adults preoperatively to predict PONV and treat it pre-emptively. The score of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 correspond with the risk of PONV of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 percent, respectively.

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Reference:

Apfel CC, Läärä E, Koivuranta M, et al. A simplified risk score for predicting postoperative nausea and vomiting: conclusions from cross-validations between two centers. Anesthesiology 1999; 91:693.