COMPARISON OF DROPERIDOL, HALOPERIDOL AND PROCHLORPERAZINE AS POST-OPERATIVE ANTI-EMETICS

The results of this study demonstrate that prochlorperazine, haloperidol and droperidol are all effective post-operative anti-emetic compounds when compared to saline but vary in onset of activity and duration of action. Haloperidol has the shortest onset of action, being effective within 30-minutes of intravenous administration. Prochlorperazine has an intermediate onset of action and droperidol is the slowest of the three compounds but the only one to provide significant anti-emesis 4-24 hours following administration. Our data suggest that a combination of haloperidol and droperidol may be more effective as an anti-emetic than any one of the compounds used alone. © 1979 Canadian Anesthesiologists.