Penehyclidine hydrochloride for treating postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic bariatric surgery: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

Background Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common and distressing complication of laparoscopic bariatric surgery (LBS). Penehyclidine hydrochloride has been reported to be effective in preventing PONV. Considering the potential preventive effects of penehyclidine against PONV, we hypothesized that intravenous infusion of penehyclidine may alleviate PONV within the first 48 h in patients scheduled for LBS. Methods Patients who underwent LBS were randomly assigned (1:2) to receive saline (Control group, n = 113) or a single intravenous dose of penehyclidine 0.5 mg (PHC group, n = 221). The primary outcome was incidence of PONV within the first 48 h postoperatively. Secondary endpoints included severity of PONV, need for rescue antiemetic therapy, volume of water intake, and time to first flatus. Results PONV occurred in 159 (48%) patients within the first 48 h postoperatively, including 51% in the Control group and 46% in the PHC group. There was no significant difference in the incidence or severity of PONV between the two groups (P > 0.05). Within the first 24 h and 24-48 h, no significant difference was found in incidence or severity of PONV, postoperative nausea, postoperative vomiting, need for rescue antiemetic therapy, or volume of water intake (P > 0.05). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that penehyclidine was significantly associated with a prolonged time to first flatus (median onset time: 22 h vs. 21 h, P = 0.036). Conclusions Penehyclidine did not decrease incidence and severity of PONV in patients undergoing LBS. However, a single intravenous dose of penehyclidine (0.5 mg) was associated with a slightly prolonged time to first flatus.