Abstract:

Objective: The management of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), a frequent issue, has included various medications. Maxillofacial surgeries are in the high-risk surgical group for PONV. This study evaluated the efficacy of paracetamol on PONV in adults undergoing maxillofacial surgery. Materials and Methods: All patient files who underwent elective-maxillofacialsurgery under standard general anesthesia procedures between January 2016 and September 2021 were reviewed. The patients who received paracetamol infusion (i.v. paracetamol 1.5 mL/kg) as an additional analgesics in the recovery room were defined as the paracetamol group; patients who did not use additional analgesics were defined as the control group. The postoperative 0-4 and 4-24 h were defined as the early and late postoperative period, respectively. All episodes of PONV occurring within 24 h after general anesthesia were recorded in the patient files. Antiemetic drug use, postoperative pain and analgesic needs in the early and late postoperative periods were recorded in the first 24 h after surgery. Results: The incidence of PONV during 0-4 h postoperatively was significantly higher in the control group compared with the paracetamol group (p=0.034 for nausea; p=0.030 for vomiting). The need for rescue antiemetic drug during 0-4 h postoperatively was significantly higher in the control group compared with the paracetamol group (p=0.013). There were no differences among the groups in terms of pain levels during the 24 h postoperatively. Conclusion: Early period after maxillofacial surgery, the incidence of PONV is decreased by the use of intravenously paracetamol. Paracetamol may help prevent PONV.

Keywords: