Innovative use for drug reduces postop nausea and vomiting

Editor's Note

An innovative use for a known drug, amisulpride, is showing promise as an effective treatment for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), finds this study. Amisulpride works by blocking dopamine signaling in the body.

A total of 1,147 patients undergoing general anesthesia, who had three or four PONV risk factors, were randomly assigned to receive either 5 mg of amisulpride IV (572 patients) or a placebo (575) in addition to another anti-nausea drug at the beginning of general anesthesia.

A total of 57.7% of patients receiving amisulpride had a complete response, defined as no vomiting or need for fast-acting medication to relieve vomiting, in the first 24 hours after surgery, compared with 46.6% of those receiving a placebo.

This finding could enable improved control of PONV and allow for earlier mobilization and discharge of surgical patients, the authors say.