Nitrous oxide anaesthesia and vomiting

Eighty-seven patients undergoing routine laparoscopy were divided randomly into two groups to study the effect of nitrous oxide anaesthesia on the incidence of postoperative vomiting. Patients in group A received nitrous oxide as part of their anaesthetic, while in group B nitrous oxide was omitted. Significantly fewer patients in group B vomited when compared with group A (17 percent and 49 percent respectively; p less than 0.005). We suggest that an anaesthetic technique which avoids nitrous oxide may be especially indicated in patients undergoing laparoscopy.