Date of Award

Fall 12-2016

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Dr. Cathy Hughes

Committee Chair Department

Nursing

Committee Member 2

Dr. Marjorie Geisz-Everson

Committee Member 2 Department

Nursing

Committee Member 3

Michong Rayborn

Committee Member 3 Department

Nursing

Abstract

One prominent side effect in the use of a neuraxial anesthesia is pruritus, with an incidence in the obstetric patient of 60-100% (Kumar & Singh, 2013). Another side effect of an epidural placement is nausea and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting occurs frequently during the progress of labor and is difficult to determine an incidence that is related to epidural opioid administration (Chestnut, Wong, Tsen, Ngan Kee, Beilin, & Mhyre, 2014). A review of literature was performed and established evidence that ondansetron is effective in reducing incidence of pruritus in intrathecal administered opioids for cesarean sections in the obstetric patient. No literature was found in ondansetron reducing either incidence of nausea/vomiting or pruritus in post epidural administered opioids for obstetric patient. A retrospective chart review was completed and statistical analysis concluded that in this sample ondansetron was not effective in reducing nausea/vomiting or pruritus in the obstetric population (Pruritus p = .195 and Nausea/Vomiting p = .844).

Share

COinS