Comparison of ondansetron and low dose Ketamine as agents for prevention of intraoperative nausea and vomiting during caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia

• Author Details:   
• Ovais Nazir ^*
• Asif Hussain Bhat
• Hamid Yatoo
• Amit Khatuja
• Rajesh Misra

Introduction: Spinal anaesthesia is considered as gold standard for caesarean section due to its advantages of rapid and predictable onset, no airway handling, safe to mother and minimal drug exposure to fetus. But spinal anaesthesia caesarean section is associated with high incidence of IONV. Role of ondansetrone as antiemetic is well established. Not many studies are there for low dose ketamine in prevention of IONV.
Materials and Methods: A total of 225 pregnant patients scheduled for CS under spinal anaesthesia were included and divided into three groups Group I – Patients who received low dose ketamine, group II- Patients who received ondansetron, group III- Patients who received normal saline. The patients were compared for intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, IONV, side effects like sedation and shivering.
Results: The results of this study showed low dose ketamine group (group I) 26.6% and ondansetron (group II) 32% had lower incidence of IONV in comparison to control group 49.3%.
Conclusion: Low dose ketamine and ondansetron are both good agents for reduction of IONV during CS in pregnant patients under spinal anaesthesia without significant adverse effects.

Keywords: Ondansetron, Ketamine, (IONV) Intraoperative nausea vomiting, (CS) Caesarean section, (NMDA) N- methyl D-aspartate, (ASA) American society of Anaesthesiology.