TY - JOUR
T1 - Aprepitant and fosaprepitant as a prophylactic antiemetic for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after general anaesthesia
T2 - a systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Grigio, Thiago Ramos
AU - Timmerman, Hans
AU - Dos Santos, Natanael Pietroski
AU - Pereira, José Eduardo Guimarães
AU - Sousa, Angela Maria
AU - Wolff, André Paul
N1 - Copyright © 2025 HCFMUSP. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
PY - 2025/10/15
Y1 - 2025/10/15
N2 - BACKGROUND: Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) is one of the patient-important outcomes, as its management reduces morbidity associated with surgery. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic aprepitant and fosaprepitant within the first 24 hours after surgery in adult patients who underwent general anaesthesia. The authors The authors combined the outcomes only with identical evaluation times.METHODS: The authors The authors searched six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, WHO, ICTRP, SCIELO) for randomized controlled trials that compared aprepitant or fosaprepitant for PONV against control in different time assessments within the first 24 hours after surgery in adult patients who underwent general anaesthesia.RESULTS: This systematic review includes 35 articles with 6241 participants in total. The authors The authors observed that aprepitant, from 0h to 24 h after surgery, significantly reduces the incidence of nausea (RR = 0.80, 95 % CI 0.67-0.97, I
2 = 42 %, p = 0.07), vomiting (RR = 0.41, 95 % CI: 0.31-0.55, I
2 = 51 %, p = 0.008), the use of rescue antiemetics (RR = 0.79, 95 % CI 0.66-0.95, I
2 = 54 %, p = 0.009), and increases the complete response rate (RR = 1.19, 95 % CI 1.04-1.37, I
2 = 51 %, p = 0.04). On the other hand, fosaprepitant, from 0 to 24 hours after surgery, showed a reduction only in the incidence of vomiting (RR = 0.35, 95 % CI 0.19-0.64, I
2 = 33 %, p = 0.20).
CONCLUSION: Aprepitant reduces the incidence of postoperative nausea, vomiting and the use of rescue antiemetics and increases the complete response rate among adult patients from 0 to 24 hours after surgery. Fosaprepitant reduces the incidence of vomiting from 0 to 24 hours after surgery. Findings primarily reflect female patients; male applicability requires further study.PROSPERO REGISTRY: CRD42023427076.
AB - BACKGROUND: Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) is one of the patient-important outcomes, as its management reduces morbidity associated with surgery. This systematic review with meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic aprepitant and fosaprepitant within the first 24 hours after surgery in adult patients who underwent general anaesthesia. The authors The authors combined the outcomes only with identical evaluation times.METHODS: The authors The authors searched six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, WHO, ICTRP, SCIELO) for randomized controlled trials that compared aprepitant or fosaprepitant for PONV against control in different time assessments within the first 24 hours after surgery in adult patients who underwent general anaesthesia.RESULTS: This systematic review includes 35 articles with 6241 participants in total. The authors The authors observed that aprepitant, from 0h to 24 h after surgery, significantly reduces the incidence of nausea (RR = 0.80, 95 % CI 0.67-0.97, I
2 = 42 %, p = 0.07), vomiting (RR = 0.41, 95 % CI: 0.31-0.55, I
2 = 51 %, p = 0.008), the use of rescue antiemetics (RR = 0.79, 95 % CI 0.66-0.95, I
2 = 54 %, p = 0.009), and increases the complete response rate (RR = 1.19, 95 % CI 1.04-1.37, I
2 = 51 %, p = 0.04). On the other hand, fosaprepitant, from 0 to 24 hours after surgery, showed a reduction only in the incidence of vomiting (RR = 0.35, 95 % CI 0.19-0.64, I
2 = 33 %, p = 0.20).
CONCLUSION: Aprepitant reduces the incidence of postoperative nausea, vomiting and the use of rescue antiemetics and increases the complete response rate among adult patients from 0 to 24 hours after surgery. Fosaprepitant reduces the incidence of vomiting from 0 to 24 hours after surgery. Findings primarily reflect female patients; male applicability requires further study.PROSPERO REGISTRY: CRD42023427076.
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100783
DO - 10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100783
M3 - Review article
C2 - 41100974
SN - 1807-5932
VL - 80
JO - Clinics
JF - Clinics
M1 - 100783
ER -