Is Preloading Useful for the Complete Efficacy of Alizapride in Highly Emetogenic Surgical-procedures

Scholtes, Jean-Louis [UCL] Gersdorff, Michel [UCL] Steinier, JR.

Alizapride is a substituted benzamide, which, when administered postoperatively, is very active in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the efficacy of treatment with alizapride in patients undergoing middle ear surgery, which is known to be a highly emetic procedure. Therefore, in a double-blind study versus placebo, we evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of adding a preoperative and intraoperative treatment with alizapride to the normal postoperative treatment. This study showed that there was no difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting in patients without preoperative preloading with alizapride compared with patients with drug preloading. We therefore conclude that postoperative preventive treatment with alizapride is a highly effective procedure for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing middle ear surgery. No preoperative loading with alizapride is necessary in order to obtain optimal activity and tolerability.