Table 1 Success rates of placebo or no treatment after a first emetic episode postoperatively.

Alon, 1998 [28]

2/2/1

various

patients, experiencing nausea lasting > 10 min and/or emesis within 2 h after recovery from general anaesthesia

Anderson, 2004 [29]

1/1/0

various, outpatients

patients, spontaneously reporting nausea in the PACU

Barton, 1975 [30]

2/1/0

various

patients, developing nausea/vomiting in the recovery period

Bodner, 1991 [31]

1/1/0

laparoscopy, female outpatients

patients, complaining of persisting nausea (lasting >10 min) and/or experienced at least 2 episodes of emesis/retching

Boghaert, 1980 [32]

1/1/1

various

vomiting postoperatively

Bonica, 1958 [33]

1/1/1

various

Borgeat, 1992 [34]

1/1/0

various

patients, exhibiting major or severe nausea with vomiting

Diemunsch, 1997 [35]

1/1/0

various, primary gynaecological surgery

reporting nausea lasting 10 min or one emetic episode within 2 h in PACU

Diemunsch, 1999 [36]

1/1/0

abdominal or vaginal oophrectomy

experience of nausea and/or vomiting within 6 h of surgical recovery

Du Pen, 1992 [37]

1/1/1

primary gynaecological, outpatients

experience of nausea and/or vomiting within 2 h in the PACU

Fragen, 1978 [38]

2/0/1

gynaecologic surgical procedures

retching or vomiting in the immediate postoperative period

Fujii, 2004 [26]

2/2/1

laparoscopic cholecystectomy

experience of nausea lasting more than 10 min or retching or vomiting within 3 h after recovery

Gan, 1999 [39]

ambulatory surgery

significant nausea or vomiting within 1 h of arrival in the recovery room

Harper, 1998 [40]

2/2/1

laparoscopic gynaecological surgery

complaining of nausea and/or vomiting and requesting antiemetic treatment in the recovery room

Kauste, 1986 [41]

1/1/0

elective orthopaedic surgery

complains of nausea or retched or vomiting of any severity

Khalil, 1996 [42]

2/2/1

paediatric surgery, outpatients

experience of 2 emetic episodes within 2 h of discontinuation of nitrous oxygen

Korttila, 1979 [43]

1/1/0

orthopaedic surgery

complains of nausea or retched or vomitinf of any severity

Kovac, 1997 [44]

2/1/0

various, outpatients

postoperative nausea or vomiting within 2 h of arrival in the PACU

Kovac, 1999 [45]

2/1/1

various, outpatients

experience of PONV or requesting antiemetic therapy within 2 h of the end of anaesthesia

Larijani, 1991 [46]

2/1/0

orthopaedic/gynaecologic surgery

complaining of nausea or having a vomiting episode within 2 h of arrival in the recovery room

Lobera, 1981 [47]

1/1/0

breast surgery

presenting nausea and/or vomiting

Loeser, 1979 [48]

1/1/0

n/a

one or more episodes of vomiting in the recovery room

Polati, 1997 [49]

2/2/1

gynaecologic surgery

experience of persistent nausea with at least one emetic episode within 4 h of recovery

Rung, 1997 [50]

2/2/1

orthopaedic/gynaecologic surgery

experience of nausea and/or emesis and request of an antiemetic at any time after the start of opioid administration

Scuderi, 1993 [51]

2/1/0

outpatients

if symptomatic treatment for persistent nausea or vomiting was necessary

Stockman, 1978 [52]

1/1/0

various

patients, who had a sufficient degree of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting to warrant antiemetic therapy

Taylor, 1997 [53]

2/1/0

gynaecological surgery

patients, who developed PONV within 4 hours of the end of surgery

van Leeuwen, 1980 [54]

1/1/0

general surgery, urology, plastic & vascular

vomiting postoperatively

Zegveld, 1978 [55]

1/1/1

abdominal and others

after vomiting had occurred

Eberhart, unpublished data [5,16]

n/a

various

Any nausea, retching or vomiting for at least 5 minutes