Prevention and management of postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults.

In early 2007, patients at our small community hospital's outpatient surgery center experienced postoperative nausea and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) at a rate of 27% to 35%. Many record reviews and a written survey of nurses in the postanesthesia care unit and same day surgery center revealed that little or no risk assessment and no consistent prophylaxis or treatment were in use by nurses, physicians, or anesthesia care providers. After a review of the literature and discussions with anesthesia care providers, we developed and put into practice a risk assessment tool and perioperative care path. A formal evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the plan was performed one year after implementation. We found that the rates of PONV had decreased to 16%. AORN J 90 (September 2009) 391-413. (c) AORN, Inc, 2009.