The incidence of postoperative vomiting in children undergoing elective surgery at the university teaching hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Background: One of the most frequent complications of surgery is postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV); the incidence of which is said to be twice as high in children than in adults. This is very unpleasant for patients and delays recovery. Studied significant risk factors of postoperative vomiting include ENT and strabismus surgery, a previous history of postoperative vomiting, duration of surgery greater than 30 minutes, and a previous history of vomiting in the parents or siblings. Despite the magnitude of children presenting for surgery at UTH, the incidence of PONV is not known. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and the factors associated with PONV at the University Teaching Hospital. Methodology: This was a prospective observational cohort study done at the University Teaching Hospital. 317 participants were recruited ranging from 0 – 16 years. Recruitment was done the day before the surgery and participant's guardians were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Intraoperative anaesthetic management was noted from the anaesthetic chart and 24hours postoperatively, the guardian was called using a structured phone call to assess if the participant vomited. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and binary logistic regression was done to assess associations. Results: Overall incidence of PONV was 6% and the established risk factors of postoperative vomiting in other studies were not found to have significant associations in this population. Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative vomiting was found to be low at UTH and known risk factors were found not to be significantly associated with POV. There is therefore no evidence for giving routine antiemetic prophylaxis. A larger study is also recommended to establish associations for high-risk individuals in this population. Keywords: Postoperative nausea and vomiting; Anesthesia; Pediatrics; Risk-factors; Surgery