Young, healthy outpatients (100) undergoing restorative dentistry and/or
oral surgery under enfluranenitrous
oxide-
oxygen anaesthesia were given 0.014 mg/kg of
droperidol or a saline placebo i.v. in a double-blind random fashion 5 min after induction of anaesthesia to prevent
postoperative nausea and vomiting. Overall, less patients given
droperidol were nauseated (18%) or vomited (7%) in comparison with patients given saline (27% and 11%, respectively). During the first postoperative hour, 4% of patients given
droperidol were nauseated and 2% vomited, whereas 16% of patients given saline were nauseated and 6% vomited. Four patients given saline were not discharged from the clinic 1 h after anaesthesia owing to prolonged
nausea and
vomiting. The time elapsed until the patients were oriented as to time and place after cessation of
enflurane and
nitrous oxide administration was similar in both groups (mean +/- s.d., 13.5 +/- 4.7 min). Thirty minutes after anaesthesia, the ability to walk on a straight line was significantly (P less than 0.001) worse in patients given
droperidol as compared to patients given saline. After 60 min, only one patient given
droperidol and four patients who received saline and vomited took side steps or were unable to walk. Psychomotor performance was significantly (P less than 0.05) better in a perceptual speed test both 30 and 60 min after anaesthesia in patients receiving saline as compared to those given
droperidol. It is concluded that although
droperidol is a less effective
antiemetic after outpatient than after inpatient
enflurane anaesthesia, small doses of
droperidol may be used for outpatients prone to
vomiting to prevent delayed discharge from the clinic due to prolonged
vomiting.