Role of Prophylactic Antiemetics in Women Receiving Intrathecal Morphine and Lipophilic Opioids Added to Bupivacaine for Cesarean Section

Summary

Because the majority of Caesarean deliveries are performed under neuraxial anaesthesia, Intrathecal morphine has become the gold standard for post-Caesarean delivery analgesia. However, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is the common side-effect of intrathecal morphine, affecting up to 60-80% of women without prophylaxis. PONV reduces maternal satisfaction and delays discharge from hospital, so it is important to prevent PONV in contemporary obstetric anaesthesia, particularly in the context of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) after Caesarean delivery. According to the meta-analysis by Lizhong Wang et al., combined 5-HT3 antagonists plus dexamethasone are more effective than mono-therapy in preventing PONV associated with intrathecal morphine after Caesarean delivery. But, the role of prophylactic antiemetics in women receiving intrathecal morphine and lipophilic opioids is still unclear. As antiemetics were shown to be less effective in women receiving intrathecal morphine than in those receiving epidural morphine, Lizhong Wang et al., performed a further subgroup analysis based on whether intrathecal morphine was combined with lipophilic opioids or not. Surprisingly, the results in women who received intrathecal morphine alone were similar to those in the primary analyses; however, in those who received intrathecal morphine and lipophilic opioids, there were no statistical differences in almost all comparisons. This raises the question of whether the combination of intrathecal lipophilic opioids contributed to the reduced efficacy of antiemetics in women receiving intrathecal morphine The objective of the current study is to examine the effect of prophylactic use of combined 5-HT3 antagonists plus dexamethasone to decrease the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in parturients undergoing CS under spinal anaesthesia who receive intrathecal morphine alone or combined with lipophilic opioids.

Timeline

Start

2024-12-01

Primary completion

2026-12-01

Completion

2027-01-01

Publications

• Results Aouad MT, Yazbeck-Karam VG, Nasr VG, El-Khatib MF, Kanazi GE, Bleik JH. A single dose of propofol at the end of surgery for the prevention of emergence agitation in children undergoing strabismus surgery during sevoflurane anesthesia. Anesthesiology. 2007 Nov;107(5):733-8. doi: 10.1097/01.anes.0000287009.46896.a7.
• Results Wang L, Huang J, Hu H, Chang X, Xia F. Commonly used antiemetics for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting after Caesarean delivery with neuraxial morphine: a network meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2024 Jun;132(6):1274-1284. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2024.03.010. Epub 2024 Apr 15.
• Results Yurashevich M, Habib AS. Monitoring, prevention and treatment of side effects of long-acting neuraxial opioids for post-cesarean analgesia. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2019 Aug;39:117-128. doi: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2019.03.010. Epub 2019 Apr 26.
• Results Roofthooft E, Joshi GP, Rawal N, Van de Velde M; PROSPECT Working Group* of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy and supported by the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association. PROSPECT guideline for elective caesarean section: updated systematic review and procedure-specific postoperative pain management recommendations. Anaesthesia. 2021 May;76(5):665-680. doi: 10.1111/anae.15339. Epub 2020 Dec 28.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.