The effect of supplemental oxygen on postoperative nausea and vomiting in children undergoing dental work

Administration of 80% intraoperative oxygen has been proposed as being a cheap, safe and effective means of reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) but no studies have been performed in the high risk paediatric population. We tested whether 80% intraoperative oxygen reduces PONV in well children undergoing elective day-stay dental treatment under general anaesthesia. Ninety-five children received standardized sevoflurane, morphine, vecuronium anaesthesia with either 30% or 80% intraoperative oxygen and no antiemetic prophylaxis in a randomized, double blind, prospective trial. There was no difference in PONV or in the use of rescue ondansetron between the groups. The total incidence of PONV was 40% in the group that received 30% oxygen and 33% in those that received 80% oxygen. High inspired intraoperative oxygen was not found to significantly reduce PONV in well children undergoing dental work under general anaesthesia.