To compare the effects of methylprednisolone and dexamethasone individually combined with tropisetron on the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) of high risk in patients with thyroid surgery.

One hundred and sixty patients of high risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting scheduled for radical operation of thyroid with general anesthesia were randomly divided into four groups with 40 cases each. Four groups of the patients were intravenously injected methylprednisolone 40 mg plus tropisetron 5 mg at the end of the operations (group MT), dexamethasone 7.5 mg before anesthesia induction, and tropisetron 5 mg at the end of the operations (group DT), tropisetron 5 mg at the end of the operations (group T), and normal saline (group C). Incidence and severity of nausea, vomiting and adverse reactions were recorded during 24 hours after end of the operations.

Compared to group DT, the incidences of PONV during the 0~2 h and 2~6 h, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) of PONV at 2 h after the operations in group MT were significantly lower (P<0.05). Compared to group C, the incidences of PONV and VAS score during the 0~24 h after the operations in group MT and group DT were significantly lower (P<0.05), the incidences of PONV during the 2~6 h and 6~12 h after the operations, and VAS score of PONV at 6 h and 12 h after the operations in group T were significantly lower (P<0.05). Compared to group C, incidences of headache in group MT and group DT were significantly lower (P<0.05), and incidence of swim in group T was also significantly lower (P<0.05). Incidence of adverse reactions in group MT and group DT were no significant difference.

Preventive effect of methylprednisolone combined with tropisetron for PONV in high-risk patients within 6 hours after thyroid surgery was significantly better than that of dexamethasone combined with tropisetron.

Dexamethasone/AD; Indoles/AD; Methylprednisolone/AD; Thyroidectomy/AE; Postoperative nausea and vomiting/PC