Comparision of Intrathecal Fentanyl and Intravenous Ondansetron for Prevention of Nausea -Vomiting during Cesarean Delivery with Spinal Anaesthesia

This study compares intrathecal fentanyl with IV ondansetron for preventing intraoperative nausea and vomiting during cesarean deliveries performed with spinal anesthesia. One twenty healthy parturients posted for elective caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia using hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine were randomly allocated into two groups of sixty each. Group-F received 12.5μg of fentanyl intrathecally along with 2 ml of hyperbaric bupivacaine. Group-O received 4 mg of intravenous ondansetron. Intraoperatively, an anaesthesiologist blinded to the study recorded the presence or absence of nausea, retching and vomiting. The frequencies for nausea, retching and vomiting were compared using test of proportion for the two samples. The level of significance was taken as 0.05. The incidence of nausea, retching and vomiting in fentanyl group is 11.67%, 5% and 3.33% respectively where as in ondansetron group the incidence is 26.67%, 20% and 18.33%. There is significant difference between two groups with the P values 0.037, 0.013 and 0.08 for nausea, retching and vomiting respectively. Intrathecal fentanyl as part of a spinal anesthetic for cesarean delivery is superior to IV ondansetron for the prevention of intraoperative nausea and vomiting.