Evaluation of the Effect of Intravenous Ondansetron versus Placebo before Anesthesia on Vomiting after Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Procedures

Vomiting is a common complication after endoscopic procedures in children. Different medications could be administered to control vomiting after endoscopy. The goal of this study is to evaluate anti-emetic effects of ondansetron in children who undergo endoscopic procedures.
In this clinical randomized trial, 198 children (103 female/95 male) were randomly assigned into one of the following two studied groups. Case group (G1): Fentanyl 1 µg/kg propofol 2.5 mg/kg ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg and control group (G2): Fentanyl 1 µg/kg propofol 2.5 mg/kg 2 cc normal saline.
The mean age was 6.3 ± 3.5 years (6.2 ± 3.6 years in G1 vs. 6.4 ± 3.5 years in G2). The most common cause of endoscopy procedure in both groups was hematochezia. Vomiting, recovery time, Paediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED), and Aldrete scores were compared. Rate of vomiting after recovery and Aldrete score were significantly different between the two groups.
Ondansetron is effective in controlling vomiting after colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. Also, patients in intervention group experienced better recovery time.