PONV: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Prevent It
When you or someone you care about has surgery, the last thing you want is to feel sick afterward. That’s where PONV, postoperative nausea and vomiting. Also known as postoperative nausea and vomiting, it’s not just uncomfortable—it can delay discharge, increase hospital costs, and even lead to complications like wound splitting or aspiration. It’s not rare. Up to 30% of patients experience it after routine procedures, and for high-risk groups—like women, nonsmokers, or those with a history of motion sickness—it can hit over 70%.
PONV doesn’t happen by accident. It’s tied to anesthesia, the drugs used to put you under during surgery, especially volatile agents like sevoflurane and opioids like morphine. But it’s also influenced by surgical recovery, how your body responds after the procedure. Longer surgeries, certain types like laparoscopic or ear-nose-throat operations, and even how fast you’re allowed to eat after waking up all play a role. What’s surprising is that many hospitals still treat it as an afterthought, not a priority.
The good news? We now have clear ways to stop it before it starts. antiemetics, medications designed to block nausea signals in the brain like ondansetron, dexamethasone, and aprepitant are proven tools. But using them right matters—timing, dose, and combining them based on your personal risk level makes all the difference. It’s not one-size-fits-all. A 28-year-old woman having a tonsillectomy needs a different plan than a 65-year-old man recovering from knee surgery.
What you’ll find below isn’t just theory. These posts dig into real-world strategies: how to reduce PONV without stacking drugs, what alternatives work when standard meds fail, how certain painkillers make it worse, and what simple steps patients can take before and after surgery to protect themselves. Whether you’re a patient preparing for surgery, a caregiver, or a healthcare worker looking to improve outcomes, the guides here give you the facts without the fluff. No jargon. No guesswork. Just what works.
