Figure 1 depicts a flow diagram for study inclusion. Information from a total of 13,789 adult, ambulatory, otolaryngologic or ophthalmic surgeries with general anesthesia was collected through POD1. To eliminate any correlation caused by patients who underwent multiple procedures, our analysis only included data from each patient’s first procedure. Observations with missing information were excluded. Data from a total of 10,231 unique patients were analyzed.
(All Tables And Figures Are Attached Again At The End Of The Manuscript)
The total incidence of PONV, both pre and postdischarge, summed to 17.8%. As previously stated, the cases were broken down into four groups based on the presence of N/V in the PACU and at home: No N/V in both the PACU and at home (No N/V), N/V in the PACU but not at home (PACU Only), N/V at home but not in the PACU (Home Only), and N/V occurring in both settings (PACU plus Home).
Table 1 shows the number of patients in each of the four outcome groups for the patient and procedure characteristics considered, and the corresponding univariate p-values and standardized differences when compared to the No N/V group. It also contains independent variable information per outcome, including mean, standard deviation, count, and percentage when relevant. Table 2 reports the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals for each of the three N/V occurrence outcome groups in comparison with the No N/V group, using the variables described in Table 1, as derived by multivariable multinomial regression (age, ASA status, BMI, smoker status, hydromorphone, fentanyl, inhalational time, sex, morphine, nitrous time, oxycodone, PACU 1&2 times, prophylactic antiemetic usage, scopolamine usage, surgery type, and total anesthesia time). For continuous variables, the AOR is based upon the unit increases defined in Table 2. Table 3 depicts the overall number and percent of patients that fall into each outcome group.
Table 1
Patient and Operative Factors by N/V Status
|
Measurea
|
Standardized differenceb
|
p-value
|
|
No N/Vc (n = 8415)
|
PACUd only (n = 1333)
|
Home only (n = 317)
|
PACU and Home (n = 166)
|
PACU only vs. No N/V
|
Home only vs. No N/V
|
PACU and home vs. No N/V
|
PACU only vs. No N/V
|
Home only vs. No N/V
|
PACU and home vs. No N/V
|
Age (years)
|
51.5 ± 17.8
|
47.7 ± 16.2
|
47.4 ± 17.5
|
46.3 ± 16.1
|
-0.223
|
-0.231
|
-0.306
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
ASA Classificatione, n (%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1375 (16.3)
|
287 (21.5)
|
65 (20.5)
|
39 (23.5)
|
-0.160
|
-0.119
|
-0.215
|
< 0.001
|
0.036
|
0.006
|
2
|
5824 (69.2)
|
903 (67.7)
|
214 (67.5)
|
111 (66.9)
|
3
|
1216 (14.5)
|
143 (10.7)
|
38 (12)
|
16 (9.6)
|
Body Mass Index (kg/m2)
|
27.2 ± 5.6
|
27.3 ± 5.8
|
26.6 ± 5.4
|
26.3 ± 5.3
|
0.015
|
-0.113
|
-0.177
|
0.608
|
0.051
|
0.027
|
Current smoker, n (%)
|
789 (9.4)
|
91 (6.8)
|
23 (7.3)
|
8 (4.8)
|
-0.094
|
-0.077
|
-0.178
|
0.003
|
0.202
|
0.045
|
Hydromorphone (mg)
|
0.3 ± 0.5
|
0.5 ± 0.7
|
0.4 ± 0.6
|
0.5 ± 0.7
|
0.296
|
0.134
|
0.340
|
< 0.001
|
0.016
|
< 0.001
|
Fentanyl (mcg)
|
68.1 ± 72
|
83.1 ± 74.9
|
77.9 ± 68.2
|
87.7 ± 73.3
|
0.222
|
0.183
|
0.297
|
< 0.001
|
0.002
|
< 0.001
|
Inhalational time (minutes)
|
56.9 ± 59.9
|
88.7 ± 75
|
59.4 ± 63.2
|
87.9 ± 81.5
|
0.470
|
0.034
|
0.427
|
< 0.001
|
0.557
|
< 0.001
|
Male, n (%)
|
4265 (50.7)
|
449 (33.7)
|
118 (37.2)
|
50 (30.1)
|
-0.349
|
-0.274
|
-0.429
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
Morphine (mg)
|
1.2 ± 2.3
|
1.4 ± 2.6
|
1.9 ± 2.8
|
2.2 ± 3.1
|
0.121
|
0.278
|
0.381
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
Nitrous time (minutes)
|
6.7 ± 22.6
|
12.9 ± 34.5
|
7.3 ± 25.8
|
10.6 ± 30.4
|
0.177
|
-0.010
|
0.145
|
< 0.001
|
0.863
|
0.046
|
Oxycodone (mg)
|
2.0 ± 3.1
|
2.0 ± 3.1
|
2.5 ± 3.3
|
2.1 ± 3.1
|
-0.015
|
0.175
|
0.034
|
0.602
|
0.002
|
0.663
|
PACU phase 1 time (minutes)
|
63.8 ± 38.5
|
79.7 ± 31.9
|
66.1 ± 28
|
80.8 ± 31.5
|
0.617
|
0.128
|
0.700
|
< 0.001
|
0.028
|
< 0.001
|
PACU phase 2 time (minutes)
|
74.0 ± 45.4
|
106.4 ± 64.9
|
83.5 ± 57.3
|
123.5 ± 95.1
|
0.731
|
0.230
|
1.013
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
|
Prophylactic antiemetic use
|
8113 (96.4)
|
1287 (96.5)
|
302 (95.3)
|
161 (97)
|
0.008
|
-0.057
|
0.032
|
0.801
|
0.286
|
0.692
|
Perioperative scopolamine use
|
881 (10.5)
|
255 (19.1)
|
36 (11.4)
|
24 (14.5)
|
0.246
|
0.029
|
0.121
|
< 0.001
|
0.613
|
0.098
|
Surgery type
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otolaryngology
|
6672 (79.3)
|
1165 (87.4)
|
261 (82.3)
|
146 (88)
|
0.219
|
0.077
|
0.236
|
< 0.001
|
0.188
|
0.006
|
Ophthalmology
|
1743 (20.7)
|
168 (12.6)
|
56 (17.7)
|
20 (12)
|
Total anesthesia time (minutes)
|
117.8 ± 61.4
|
135.8 ± 70.6
|
114.2 ± 62
|
130.5 ± 75.5
|
0.262
|
-0.084
|
0.146
|
< 0.001
|
0.142
|
0.059
|
a. Described as mean ± SD or n(%)
b. A standardized difference with absolute value > 0.1 can be taken to indicate a greater difference between groups than would be expected by chance.
c. Nausea/Vomiting
d. Postanesthesia Care Unit
e. American society of anesthesiologists physical status classification
Table 2
Multivariable Adjusted Odds Ratio
|
PACUa only vs. No N/Vb
|
Home only vs. No N/V
|
PACU and Home vs. No N/V
|
Comparison
|
AORc (95% CI)
|
p-value
|
AOR (95% CI)
|
p-value
|
AOR (95% CI)
|
p-value
|
Age (per 1 year increase)
|
0.99 (0.99, 0.99)
|
< 0.001
|
0.99 (0.98, 1.00)
|
0.012
|
0.99 (0.98, 1.00)
|
0.010
|
ASAd 2 vs. ASA 1
|
0.80 (0.68, 0.94)
|
0.008
|
0.94 (0.69, 1.28)
|
0.712
|
0.83 (0.55, 1.25)
|
0.381
|
ASA 3 vs. ASA 1
|
0.74 (0.58, 0.96)
|
0.022
|
1.02 (0.64, 1.61)
|
0.939
|
0.77 (0.39, 1.49)
|
0.434
|
Body Mass Index (per 1 kg/m2 increase)
|
1.01 (1.00, 1.02)
|
0.268
|
0.98 (0.96, 1.00)
|
0.107
|
0.97 (0.94, 1.00)
|
0.061
|
Current smoker (yes vs. no)
|
0.74 (0.58, 0.94)
|
0.014
|
0.75 (0.48, 1.16)
|
0.192
|
0.49 (0.24, 1.01)
|
0.054
|
Hydromorphonee (per 1 mg increase)
|
1.31 (1.18, 1.45)
|
< 0.001
|
1.39 (1.15, 1.68)
|
< 0.001
|
1.58 (1.26, 1.98)
|
< 0.001
|
Fentanyle (per 1 mcg increase)
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.015
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.060
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.078
|
Inhalational time (per 1 minute increase)
|
1.01 (1.00, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.692
|
1.01 (1.00, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
Sex (male vs. female)
|
0.46 (0.40, 0.52)
|
< 0.001
|
0.56 (0.44, 0.71)
|
< 0.001
|
0.36 (0.26, 0.52)
|
< 0.001
|
Morphinee (per 1 mg increase)
|
1.01 (0.98, 1.04)
|
0.446
|
1.12 (1.07, 1.16)
|
< 0.001
|
1.13 (1.07, 1.19)
|
< 0.001
|
Nitrous time (per 1 minute increase)
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.01)
|
0.693
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.01)
|
0.197
|
Oxycodonee (per 1 mg increase)
|
0.97 (0.95, 0.99)
|
0.003
|
1.03 (0.99, 1.06)
|
0.113
|
0.97 (0.92, 1.02)
|
0.240
|
PACU phase 1 time (per 1 minute increase)
|
1.01 (1.00, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
1.00 (0.99, 1.00)
|
0.594
|
1.01 (1.00, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
PACU phase 2 time (per 1 minute increase)
|
1.01 (1.01, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.01)
|
0.001
|
1.01 (1.01, 1.01)
|
< 0.001
|
Prophylactic antiemetic usage (yes vs. no)
|
0.82 (0.59, 1.15)
|
0.253
|
0.65 (0.38, 1.13)
|
0.126
|
0.92 (0.37, 2.32)
|
0.864
|
Perioperative scopolamine usage (yes vs. no)
|
1.39 (1.18, 1.64)
|
< 0.001
|
0.82 (0.57, 1.19)
|
0.298
|
0.90 (0.57, 1.41)
|
0.634
|
Service (ENT vs. ophthalmology)
|
1.14 (0.94, 1.37)
|
0.185
|
0.84 (0.61, 1.15)
|
0.275
|
0.98 (0.59, 1.62)
|
0.937
|
Total anesthesia time (per 1 minute increase)
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.493
|
1.00 (1.00, 1.00)
|
0.194
|
1.00 (0.99, 1.00)
|
0.176
|
a. Postanesthesia Care Unit
b. Nausea/Vomiting
c. Adjusted Odds Ratio
d. American society of anesthesiologists physical status classification
e. Cumulative opioid administration/consumption from surgery start through PACU discharge.
When compared to the No N/V group, older age, male sex, and smaller dosages of hydromorphone administration were significant low risk indicators (p < 0.05) for all 3 N/V occurrence groups. BMI, service type (otolaryngology vs ophthalmology), prophylactic antiemetic usage, and total time spent under anesthesia were not significantly associated with any of the three no N/V outcomes.
Smoker status was associated with decreased incidence for all three groups and showed significance on a 5% level for the PACU Only group (p-value 0.014) and on a 10% level for the PACU plus Home group (p-value 0.054). Higher ASA class was associated with decreased occurrence of PACU Only; ASA 2 had an AOR of 0.8 (CI: 0.68–0.94, p-value 0.008) and ASA 3 had an AOR of 0.74 (CI: 0.58–0.96 p-value 0.022) when compared to ASA 1 patients. Perioperative scopolamine usage was positively associated with the PACU Only group (AOR 1.39 (CI: 1.18–1.64, p-value < 0.001)). Conversely, morphine was positively associated with the Home Only and PACU plus Home groups (AOR 1.12 (CI: 1.07–1.16, p-value < 0.001), AOR 1.13 (CI: 1.07–1.19, p-value < 0.001), respectively), but not the PACU Only group. Total inhalation time was positively associated with PACU Only and PACU plus Home (AOR 1.01 (CI: 1-1.01, p-value < 0.001)). Home Only patients spent significantly longer in PACU phase 2 than their No N/V counterparts (p-values < 0.001, 0.594 respectively).
The percentage of patients who experienced PACU N/V that also reported Home N/V was 11.1% (p < 0.001 for one sample Z-test of whether percentage differs from 50%) (Table 3). In contrast, the percentage of patients who experienced PACU N/V that did not report Home N/V was 3.6% (Table 3). As such, patients who experienced N/V in the PACU had 3.05 (CI: 2.55–3.65) times the risk of reporting N/V at home than those who did not.
Table 3
Incidence of All Outcome Groups
|
Home N/Va
|
No Home N/V
|
PACUb N/V
|
|
|
Count
|
166
|
1333
|
Row %
|
11.1
|
88.9
|
Column %
|
34.4
|
13.7
|
Table %
|
1.6
|
13
|
No PACU N/V
|
|
|
Count
|
317
|
8415
|
Row %
|
3.6
|
96.4
|
Column %
|
65.6
|
86.3
|
Table %
|
3.1
|
82.3
|
a. Nausea & vomiting
b. Postanesthesia care unit