Effect of chewing gum on the severity of nausea and vomiting after hysteroscopy; a double-blinded randomized clinical trial

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most important and distressing complications observed in the postoperative phase. One of the methods mentioned in some studies is chewing gum. The present study investigated the effect of chewing gum on nausea and vomiting after hysteroscopy.

Methods and materials: 

The present study was a double-blinded randomized controlled trial carried out on 52 female patients referred to hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences who underwent hysteroscopic surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups of tasteless chewing gum or Ondansetron 4 mg IV. Then, the two groups were compared regarding severity and amount of PONV.

The time from the start of treatment to the improvement of nausea and vomiting was recorded in two groups; ondansetron group had an average time of 13.63 minutes and chewing gum group had an average time of 20.13 minutes. Ondansetron reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting faster than chewing gum. The mean improvement in PNOV in the ondansetron group was 23 out of 26 cases, of which 3 required rescue treatment, and in the chewing gum group 22 out of 26 cases recovered and 4 received rescue treatment. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.685).

Statistical comparison between the two groups of ondansetron and chewing gum does not show a significant difference in the improvement of nausea and vomiting after hysterectomy, but the time period of treatment to improvement of nausea and vomiting after hysterectomy in the ondansetron group was faster than the chewing gum group.