Infusions of subhypnotic doses of propofol for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting

We studied the antiemetic effects of a low dose infusion of propofol for 24 h after major gynaecological surgery in a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Fifty women of ASA physical status 1 or 2 undergoing major gynaecological surgery received an infusion of 1% propofol or intralipid at 0.1 ml.kg-1.h-1 for 24 h after surgery. Pain was managed using morphine delivered by a patient-controlled analgesia pump. The degree of postoperative nausea and vomiting was assessed by the nurses using a four-point ordinal scale, by the patients using a visual analogue scale and by the amount of rescue antiemetic given by the nurses. There were no differences between the two groups in any of the measures of postoperative nausea and vomiting during the first 48 h after surgery. Postoperative nausea and vomiting in the control group was less on the second day compared with the first postoperative day, but not in the propofol group. There were no side effects from the propofol infusion.