European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Background: The goal of PONV management is to reduce or eliminate PONV and discomfort with minimum side effects. 5-HT antagonists work by blocking one of the pathways that lead to vomiting. Ondansetron is the most commonly used drug for this purpose. Ramosetron has a higher affinity for the 5-HT3 receptor than the older 5-HT3 antagonists, with an optimal dose of 0.6 mg and maintains its effects over two days.
Objectives: To compare the efficacy of ondansetron and ramosetron in the control of
postoperative nausea and vomiting and to determine the occurrence of adverse effects with ondansetron and ramosetron.
Material and Methods: Fifty patients aged between 20-60 years posted for lower abdominal surgeries were divided into two groups (Group A & Group B) on the basis of the random sampling method. Group A received the first dose of Ramosetron in the intraoperative period 30min-1 hour before expected end of surgery. Group B received the first dose of Ondansetron in the intraoperative period 30min-1 hour before the expected end of surgery. Both groups were postoperatively monitored for incidence of nausea, the severity of nausea, the incidence of vomiting and use of rescue antiemetics, for 24 hours.
Data Analysis: The mean and Standard Deviation (SD) in each group was calculated. The data were analyzed by student t-test. For qualitative data, Chi-Square test was used for analysis. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Result: The present results revealed that ramosetron is more effective than ondansetron in preventing late postoperative nausea and vomiting. Ramosetron is more potent and longer acting as compared to ondansetron. Incidences of side effects and use of rescue antiemetic are statistically not significant in both the groups.
Conclusion: This study concludes that the prophylactic intravenous administration of
ramosetron is more effective than ondansetron for controlling late postoperative nausea and vomiting.