IMPACT OF ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUES ON THE INCIDENCE OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING IN PAEDIATRIC PATIENTS UNDERGOING STRABISMUS SURGERY: A RETROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common adverse events in paediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery. Objective: This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the impact of different anaesthetic techniques on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in paediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery.Methods: Medical records of 100 paediatric patients (mean age: 6.8 ±

2.3 years) who underwent strabismus surgery were analysed. anaesthetic techniques were categorized into three groups: general anaesthesia (n=35), regional anaesthesia (n=30), and a combination of both (n=35). The occurrence of PONV within the first 24 hours postoperatively was recorded for each patient. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and post-hoc analysis. Results: The overall incidence of PONV in the entire cohort was 26%. The incidence of PONV significantly differed among the three groups (p < 0.05). The general anaesthesia group had an incidence of 40%, the regional anaesthesia group had 20%, and the combination anaesthesia group had 14%. Post-hoc analysis showed a significantly lower incidence of PONV in the combination anaesthesia group compared to the general anaesthesia group (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in PONV incidence was observed between the combination anaesthesia group and the regional anaesthesia group (p > 0.05).Conclusion: The use of a combination of general and regional anaesthesia was associated with a significantly lower incidence of PONV compared to general anaesthesia alone in paediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery. These findings suggest that combining general and regional anaesthesia might be a beneficial approach to reduce PONV in this patient population.