The Rise and Withdrawal of Droperidol

Abstract

Predicting which patients will experience postoperative nausea and vomiting is difficult. Prophylactic antiemetic administration has been shown to reduce unplanned admission after day case surgery. In published comparative studies of antiemetic efficacy, droperidol has been considered to be the ‘gold standard’ against which other agents are measured. The recent withdrawal of droperidol due to reports of cardiac arrhythmias and the potential for sudden death has left a vacancy for a safe and effective antiemetic. This article explores the published literature for alternatives to droperidol as a single dose or prophylaxis in patient controlled analgesia devices.