INCIDENCE AND PREDICTORS OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA ANDVOMITING (PONV) UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA: A HOSPITALBASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Postoperative nausea and vomiting; PONV; general anesthesia; incidence; predictors; risk factors; observational study; antiemetic prophylaxis; postoperative opioids; volatile anesthetics; logistic regression; postoperative recovery.Abstract
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and distressing complication following general anesthesia that can delay recovery and reduce patient satisfaction. This hospital-based observational study aimed to estimate the incidence of PONV within the first 24 hours after surgery and identify its significant predictors among patients receiving general anesthesia. Perioperative data were collected on demographic and
clinical characteristics (e.g., age, sex, ASA status, smoking status, prior history of PONV/motion sickness), anesthetic and surgical factors (e.g., technique, use of volatile agents, duration of anesthesia/surgery), postoperative pain and opioid use, and antiemetic prophylaxis, while PONV was assessed through standardized postoperative observation and patient
interviews. The study findings indicate that PONV occurs in a substantial proportion of patients, with higher risk commonly associated with female sex, nonsmoking status, previous PONV/motion sickness, longer procedures, volatile-based anesthesia, and postoperative opioid administration, whereas prophylactic antiemetic use shows a
protective effect. These results support routine risk stratification and multimodal prophylaxis to reduce PONV and improve postoperative outcomes.
