complete response, defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic, during 0-3 h after an-Dexamethasone decreases chemotherapy-induced aesthesia was 83% with granisetron and 98% with emesis when added to an antiemetic regimen. This granisetron plus dexamethasone, respectively (P= study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of gran-0.008); the corresponding incidence during 3-24 h after isetron/dexamethasone combination for preventing anaesthesia was 83% and 98% (P=0.008). No clinically postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after lapimportant adverse events were observed in any of aroscopic cholecystectomy (LC). In a prospective, ranthe group. In conclusion, prophylactic therapy with domized, double-blind manner, 120 patients (83 granisetron/dexamethasone combination is more females), aged 25-65 years, were assigned to receive effective than granisetron alone for the prevention of granisetron 40 g kg −1 alone or granisetron 40 g kg −1 PONV after LC. plus dexamethasone 8 mg (n=60 of each) intravenously immediately before the induction of an-

We have studied recovery of post-tetanic twitch (PTT) and train-of-four (TOF) responses after administration of vecuronium in 100 patients under different inhalation anaesthetics and neuroleptanaesthesia. Patients were allocated randomly to five groups of 20 patients each to receive: neuroleptanaesthesia (droperidol and fentanyl), halothane, isoflurane, enflurane or sevoflurane (1 MAC in nitrous oxide and oxygen). The times from initial administration of vecuronium 0.2 mg kg-1 to the first appearances of T1, T2, T3 and T4 differed significantly between groups. However, the intervals to the first appearance of PTT1, PTT10 and PTT20 did not differ significantly between groups.

This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 120 women found the effective dose of ramosetron for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecological surgery to be 0.3 mg.

We have evaluated the efficacy and safety of granisetron, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 receptor antagonist, for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women undergoing thyroidectomy. In a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 100 ASA I patients, aged 30-57 yr, received placebo or granisetron at three different doses (20, 40 or 100 micrograms kg-1) (n = 25 each), i.v., immediately before induction of anaesthesia. A standard general anaesthetic technique was used. A complete response, defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic during the first 3 h after anaesthesia, was seen in 36%, 44%, 92% and 92% of patients who received placebo, granisetron 20 micrograms kg-1, 40 micrograms kg-1 and 100 micrograms kg-1, respectively; corresponding values during the next 21 h after anaesthesia were 40%, 44%, 88%, and 88% (P < 0.05; overall Fisher's exact probability test). There were no clinically important adverse events in any group. We conclude that granisetron 40 micrograms kg-1 was an effective antiemetic for the prevention of PONV after thyroidectomy. Increasing the dose to 100 micrograms kg-1 provided no further benefit.

We compared the efficacy of granisetron and ramosetron for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in major gynecologic surgery. Prophylactic therapy with ramosetron was more effective than granisetron for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting 24-48 h after anesthesia.