Relationship between the incidence and risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia

Despite the use of antiemetic prophylaxis, 18.0% of patients with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia had PONV. Use of desflurane and nitrous oxide, in addition to risk factors included in the Apfel score (female gender, nonsmoking status, history of PONV or motion sickness, and use of postoperative opioids) were identified as independent risk factors. As the incidence of PONV was 2.8%, 6.0%, 11.7%, 15.2%, 21.1%, 50.0%, and 100% for patients who had 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and all these risk factors, respectively, risk-adapted, multimodal, or combination therapy should be applied for patients receiving general anesthesia.