Intranasal Lidocaine for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.

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Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication following general anesthesia.[1] In the absence of prophylaxis, it can occur in greater than one third of the patients undergoing surgery, and the incidence is even higher in patients with predisposing risk factors.[2] Surgical proced...

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication following general anesthesia.[1] In the absence of prophylaxis, it can occur in greater than one third of the patients undergoing surgery, and the incidence is even higher in patients with predisposing risk factors.[2] Surgical procedures that have been shown to be associated with a high incidence of PONV include breast, gynecologic, abdominal, and thyroid surgeries.[3-5] Although PONV usually resolves with treatment, its occurrence can increase postoperative morbidity, increase hospital cost, and prolong hospital length of stay.[1-6]Despite numerous available prophylactic treatments and proposed strategies, the incidence of PONV continue to be high given its complex pathogenesis.[1] Lidocaine is a local anesthetic and its intravenous administration has been used as an adjuvant for the treatment of postoperative pain.[7] Intranasal lidocaine has also been used for the treatment of pain, specifically migraine, with significant relief of nausea.[8] The theoretical basis for this effect of intranasal lidocaine on migraine relief is reported to be due to its action on the sodium receptors within the sphenopalatine ganglion.[9] Although there is no reported association between PONV and migraines, injecting lidocaine within the sphenopalatine ganglion has proven to be effective in reducing PONV in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery.[10] Due to the complex mechanism of PONV, proven benefits of lidocaine on pain and possibly nausea, and previously shown benefit of sphenopalatine block in reducing PONV, we hypothesize that intranasal lidocaine could provide effective prophylaxis for PONV.

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