Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is an unpleasant complication affecting about a third of the 10% of the population undergoing general anaesthesia each year. Cause Emetogenic drugs commonly used in anaesthesia include nitrous oxide, physostigmine and opioids. The intravenous anaesthetic propofol is currently the least emetogenic general anaesthetic. Management Because no currently available antiemetic is especially effective by itself, and successful control is often elusive, experts recommend a multimodal approach. Medications A Cochrane review found droperidol, metoclopramide, ondansetron, tropisetron, dolasetron, dexamethasone, cyclizine, and granisetron effective for preventing PONV. Carlisle, JB; Stevenson, CA (19 July 2006). "Drugs for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting.". The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (3): CD004125. doi : 10.1002/14651858.CD004125.pub2 . PMID 16856030 Alternative medicine In conjunction with antiemeti...