Effects of High and Normal Dose Fluid Therapy on Nausea and Vomiting after Pediatric Tonsillectomy: A Comparative Study

Nausea, vomiting, and postoperative pain are common and undesirable complications after anesthesia and tonsillectomy surgery especially in children. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of high and normal dose lactated Ringer infusion on nausea, vomiting, and pain intensity after pediatric tonsillectomy.

A total number of 100 tonsillectomy surgery candidates at the age range of 1-12 years were selected for this randomized clinical trial. The subjects were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group after signing of their informed consent. The intervention group received high-dose fluid therapy (lactated Ringer 30cc/kg) and the control group received the normal dose (lactated Ringer 10cc/kg) during the perioperative period. The amounts of consumed adjuvant antiemetic drugs, incidence of nausea and vomiting, and pain severity were evaluated in both groups in the recovery room, at 12 and 24 hours after tonsillectomy.

The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the use of rescue antiemetic drugs in the intervention group compared to the control group, were always lower in the recovery room, 12 and 24 hours after surgery; but only the difference in incidence of nausea and vomiting at 24 hours after surgery was statistically significant (P = 0.027).

High-dose fluid therapy significantly reduces the late incidence (24 hours after surgery) of post- tonsillectomy nausea and vomiting in children