Intraoperative prochlorperazine for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting

Prochlorperazine (Stemetil) has been acknowledged as the 'gold standard' for treatment of nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of prochlorperazine (10 mg) in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. The antiemetic and antinauseant benefits of this drug have not been critically evaluated in the postanaesthetic patient population. Prochlorperazine was given intraoperatively so that an adequate drug concentration should have been present at the time of the patient's recovery from anaesthesia. All patients selected for the study were having surgical procedures (abdominal, head and neck) known to have a high incidence of nausea and vomiting.