On This Episode:
Postoperative nausea and vomiting, better known as PONV, remains one of the most common and frustrating complications following anesthesia. Despite decades of research and the availability of multiple antiemetic medications, many patients still experience nausea or vomiting after surgery. For anesthesia providers, especially nurse anesthetists, preventing PONV is not just about comfort; it directly impacts patient satisfaction, recovery time, discharge readiness, and overall perioperative outcomes. In fact, many patients report that avoiding nausea and vomiting is one of their top concerns when undergoing anesthesia.
In this episode, we explore the Fifth Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting, the latest international update designed to guide clinicians toward more effective prevention and treatment strategies. These updated recommendations reflect a growing body of research and introduce several important shifts in how anesthesia providers approach PONV. From expanded use of multimodal prophylaxis to greater emphasis on risk reduction strategies and post-discharge nausea and vomiting, the new guidelines encourage clinicians to think more proactively and systematically about managing this common complication.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🤢 PONV is still one of the most common anesthesia complications
🧩 The new guidelines emphasize multimodal prevention
📊 Risk scoring still matters—but clinical judgment matters more
💊 Combination antiemetic therapy is now encouraged
🏠 Think beyond the PACU
Important Links:
- The 1099 CRNA Institute
- Earn MAC Dev Credit
- Now you can watch the show on YouTube!
“Patients may not remember every detail of their anesthetic, but they will remember if they woke up miserable and nauseated.”
- Lynn & Garry
References
Gan, T. J., Jin, Z., Ayad, S., Belani, K. G., Habib, A. S., Meyer, T. A., Urman, R. D., Andrew, B. Y., Bergese, S. D., Chung, F., Diemunsch, P., Kovac, A. L., Candiotti, K., Englesakis, M., Grant, M. C., Hedrick, T. L., Huang, H., Kranke, P., Lloyd, S. J. A., … Stever, J. (2025). Fifth consensus guidelines for the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting: Executive summary. Anesthesia & Analgesia. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000007816
