Time to First Rescue Antiemetic With Ondansetron Plus Metoclopramide Versus Dexamethasone Plus Metoclopramide for PONV Prophylaxis in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Summary

The goal of this superiority randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to learn if one dual-drug arm increases patient comfort (time to needing rescue medication for nausea/vomiting) more effectively than the other in adults with Moderate-to-High PONV risk (Apfel score 2-4) undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery). The main question this study aims to answer is: • Does Ondansetron plus Metoclopramide prolong time to first rescue antiemetic more than Dexamethasone plus Metoclopramide? Researchers will compare Group A (Ondansetron 4mg plus Metoclopramide 10mg IV) to Group B (Dexamethasone 8mg IV plus Metoclopramide 10mg IV) to see if Group A provides a longer time to first rescue medication. Participants will: * Receive their assigned, blinded drug group 5-10 minutes before general anesthesia induction. * Receive rescue Metoclopramide 10mg IV if they experience any vomiting or severe nausea * Be monitored for 24 hours post-surgery in the hospital * Report nausea severity at 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours post-surgery

Timeline

Start

2026-07

Primary completion

2027-02

Completion

2027-04

Publications

• Background Alam, M. S., et al. (2025). Haloperidol Versus Dexmedetomidine As An Adjuvant to Ondansetron in Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Egyptian Journal of Surgery, 44(2), 456-463
• Background Abel UR, Jensen K, Karapanagiotou-Schenkel I, Kieser M. Some Issues of Sample Size Calculation for Time-to-Event Endpoints Using the Freedman and Schoenfeld Formulas. J Biopharm Stat. 2015;25(6):1285-311. doi: 10.1080/10543406.2014.1000546. Epub 2015 Jan 28.
• Background Naguib M, el Bakry AK, Khoshim MH, Channa AB, el Gammal M, el Gammal K, Elhattab YS, Attia M, Jaroudi R, Saddique A. Prophylactic antiemetic therapy with ondansetron, tropisetron, granisetron and metoclopramide in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized, double-blind comparison with placebo. Can J Anaesth. 1996 Mar;43(3):226-31. doi: 10.1007/BF03011739.
• Background Chattopadhyay S, Biswas A, SK Samim Ferdows, Bhowmik DK, Dey S, Bi B. Comparison of Ondansetron, Dexamethasone and Ondansetron Plus Dexamethasone For The Prevention of Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Indian Journal of Clinical Anaesthesia. 2025;3(3):459-463. Accessed April 6, 2026.
• Background Zhong B. How to calculate sample size in randomized controlled trial? J Thorac Dis. 2009 Dec;1(1):51-4.
• Background Korkusuz M, Et T. Effect of perioperative restrictive and liberal fluid regimens on postoperative nausea-vomiting and quality of recovery in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2025 Oct 27;17(10):110543. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i10.110543.
• Background Si XY, Wu LP, Li XD, Li B, Zhou YM. Dexamethasone combined with other antiemetics for prophylaxis after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Asian J Surg. 2015 Jan;38(1):21-7. doi: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2014.04.005. Epub 2014 Jun 15.
• Background Mishriky BM, Habib AS. Metoclopramide for nausea and vomiting prophylaxis during and after Caesarean delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2012 Mar;108(3):374-83. doi: 10.1093/bja/aer509. Epub 2012 Feb 3.
• Background Ko-Iam W, Sandhu T, Paiboonworachat S, Pongchairerks P, Junrungsee S, Chotirosniramit A, Chotirosniramit N, Chandacham K, Jirapongcharoenlap T. Metoclopramide, versus its combination with dexamethasone in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. J Med Assoc Thai. 2015 Mar;98(3):265-72.
• Background Gan TJ, Jin Z, Ayad S, Belani KG, Habib AS, Meyer TA, Urman RD, Andrew BY, Bergese SD, Chung F, Diemunsch P, Kovac AL, Candiotti K, Englesakis M, Grant MC, Hedrick TL, Huang H, Kranke P, Lloyd SJ, Manahan MA, Minkowitz HS, Philip BK, Phillips BJ, Simpson KD, Stever J. Fifth Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: Executive Summary. Anesth Analg. 2025 Nov 14. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007816. Online ahead of print. No abstract available.
• Background Apfel CC, Laara E, Koivuranta M, Greim CA, Roewer N. A simplified risk score for predicting postoperative nausea and vomiting: conclusions from cross-validations between two centers. Anesthesiology. 1999 Sep;91(3):693-700. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199909000-00022.
• Background Weibel S, Rucker G, Eberhart LH, Pace NL, Hartl HM, Jordan OL, Mayer D, Riemer M, Schaefer MS, Raj D, Backhaus I, Helf A, Schlesinger T, Kienbaum P, Kranke P. Drugs for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults after general anaesthesia: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Oct 19;10(10):CD012859. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012859.pub2.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.