A Comparison of the Antiemetic Effect of Ondansetron and Droperidol on Patients Undergoing Gynecologic Laparoscopy

In Response: We appreciate the attention paid to our recent study by Drs. Duncan and Donnelly. They are correct that a relationship does exist between postoperative pain and intraoperative fluid administration with postoperative nausea. Although we did not specifically address these variables in our study, our assumption was that the randomization of patients into equivalent groups, coupled with the knowledge that the same surgeons and anesthesiologists treated both groups, produced similar findings with respect to postoperative pain and fluid administration. Admittedly, these were not recorded in the article. Regarding confusion as to the dose of droperidol used in this study, no confusion was reported by the recovery room nurses who used a standardized protocol to evaluate patients postoperatively. We recognize that individual responses to medication vary but continue to believe that droperidol 20 [micro sign]g/kg is both safe and effective for postoperative nausea after laparoscopy. M. Steve Sniadach, MD Michael S. Alberts, PhD, MD Saint Joseph Hospital; Denver, CO 80218-1191