Antiemetics case studies

The antiemetic effect of nabilone in the clinic is well established in numerous studies. In an early study with 113 patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy with a wide variety of anticancer drugs, 80% experienced full or partial improvement of nausea and emesis while only 36% responded to prochlorperazine treatment. Drowsiness and dizziness were reported in many cases. Euphoria (16%), dry mouth and blurred vision (4.5 %), orthostatic hypotension (1 %) and visual hallucinations (1 %) were the more serious side-effects [ 167]. This general picture has been repeated over and over again. 

Nervous System A systematic review of low-dose use of droperidol as an antiemetic from 25 trials (2957 patients) reported extrapyramidal side effects, increased restlessness and decreased headache [143 ]. A study of use in 144 children at doses of 10 ng/kg reported sedation as the only side effect in 27% [144 ]. The use of low-dose droperidol for the treatment of headaches in the emergency room in 73 patients was associated with two cases of extrapyramidal reaction (restlessness/anxiousness and dystonia) [145 ]. Three of 589 patients experienced extrapyramidal reactions with droperidol infusion for nausea and vomiting [146 ]. Adverse effects occurring in 49 elderly patients treated with droperidol for agitation include hypotension (2), oversedation (2) and hypotension/oversedation (1) [147 ]. A case of an extrapyramidal reaction ataxia/dyskinesia) is reported in a female undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy [148 ]. 

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