The Effect of Ginger on the Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

The University of The West Indies

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Dietary Supplement: Ginger

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03626441

Anaesthesia20182

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the effectiveness of ginger on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing gynaecological surgery. Half the patients were given an oral dose of ginger preoperatively and half received placebo.

Full description

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) commonly complicate surgery and may lead to a prolonged length of stay in hospital, increased complication rates and decreased patient satisfaction. Gynaecological surgery is considered high risk for PONV.

Ginger is a cheap, widely available and safe natural product in Jamaica and has been found to reduce the incidence of Nausea and vomiting in other clinical situations, such as in pregnancy. It is believed to act via the inhibition of serotonergic receptors.

Enrollment: 110 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 or above
• Undergoing elective intra-abdominal, gynaecological surgery

Exclusion criteria

• Allergy to ginger, ginger by-products or cornstarch
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Allergy to any of the Anaesthesia Agents
• Inability to swallow capsules.
• psychiatric illness which prevents patients giving informed consent.
• Psychological which prevents patients giving informed consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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110 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Two coloured capsules containing 0.5 mg of cornstarch and flavoured with non-active essence of ginger, given 2 hours before the scheduled start of surgery.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Ginger

Experimental group

Description:

Two coloured capsules containing 0.5g ginger powder, flavoured with non-active essence of ginger, given 2 hours before the scheduled start of surgery.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Ginger

Dietary Supplement: Placebo