Results
nausea, drowsiness, postoperative nausea and vomiting, SD, nauseaSeverity, pain, dizziness, headache
ADVERSE EFFECTS
A total of 177 patients were randomized after providing consent (Fig. 
CONSORT diagram of the study design
Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients01210 (17%)25 (43%)23 (40%)14 (24%)21 (36%)23 (40%)13 (22%)20 (34%)25 (43%)Duration of surgery (min)Duration of anesthesia (min)ASA status I/II, n, (%)85.3 ± 61.5122.6 ± 67.030 (52%)/28 (48%)73.0 ± 50.5110.4 ± 62.130 (52%)/28 (48%)61.9 ± 38.297.1 ± 48.639 (67%)/19 (33%)0.6910.7130.150Data are presented as mean score ± SD or n (%) of patients. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (continuous variables) or the χCumulative results for the 0–48 h study period revealed that the overall incidence of nausea was significantly lower in group DR than in group C (
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and use of rescue antiemeticsIncidence of nauseaSeverity of nausea (0/1/2/3)Rescue antiemetic usage14(24%)44/8/4/212 (21%)5(9%)53/2/3/04 (7%)4(7%)54/1/2/14 (7%)0.0100.0690.027Incidence of nauseaSeverity of nausea (0/1/2/3)Rescue antiemetic usage6 (10%)42/5/1/06(10%)3 (5%)55/1/2/02 (3%)3 (5%)55/2/1/03 (5%)0.4470.2840.283Incidence of nauseaSeverity of nausea (0/1/2/3)Rescue antiemetic usage3 (5%)55/3/0/03 (5%)4 (7%)54/3/0/13 (5%)2 (3%)56/1/1/02 (3%)0.7040.5210.877Incidence of nauseaSeverity of nausea (0/1/2/3)Rescue antiemetic usage4 (7%)54/4/0/04(7%)3 (5%)55/2/1/03 (5%)2 (3%)56/1/1/02 (3%)0.7040.5520.704Incidence of nauseaSeverity of nausea (0/1/2/3)Rescue antiemetic usage15 (26%)43/9/4/214 (24%)9 (16%)49/4/4/17 (12%)5 (9%)53/2/2/15 (9%)0.0430.2730.048Data are presented as n (%) of patients. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (continuous variables) or the χThe pain intensity scores at each time interval and percentages of patients who received rescue analgesics at 0–1, 1–6, 6–24, and 24–48 h did not differ among the groups (Table 
VNRS scores for pain and rescue analgesic data up to 48 h after anesthesiaPostoperative 0–1 hPostoperative 1–6 hPostoperative 6–24 hPostoperative 24–48 h2.8 ± 1.82.6 ± 1.71.7 ± 1.51.3 ± 1.02.7 ± 1.52.2 ± 1.61.3 ± 1.20.7 ± 1.12.4 ± 1.51.9 ± 1.21.4 ± 1.01.0 ± 0.80.6180.5950.6090.197Postoperative 0–1 hPostoperative 1–6 hPostoperative 6–24 hPostoperative 24–48 h40 (69%)25 (43%)23 (40%)14 (24%)22 (38%)16 (28%)24 (41%)7 (12%)22 (38%)15 (26%)24 (41%)6 (10%)0.0010.0910.9760.082Data are presented as mean score ± SD or n (%) of patients. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (continuous variables) or the χ2 test (incidence variables). Patients in group C received 2 mL of intravenous 0.9% saline at the end of surgery; those in group R received 0.3 mg of intravenous ramosetron at the end of surgery; and those in group DR received 5 mg of intravenous dexamethasone at the induction of anesthesia and 0.3 mg of intravenous ramosetron at the end of surgery. The verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) assigned scores from 0–10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst pain possible. The adverse effects observed in groups C, R, and D were dizziness (none [0%], three [5%], and one [2%], respectively), headache (five [9%], three [5%], and one [2%], respectively), and drowsiness (none in all three groups). No significant differences were observed among the three groups in terms of the incidence of these adverse effects, which were relatively mild in all groups (
Incidence of adverse eventsDizzinessHeadacheDrowsiness0 (0%)5 (9%)0 (0%)3 (5%)3 (5%)0 (0%)1 (2%)1 (2%)0 (0%)0.1670.2450Data presented as n (%) of patients. Patients in group C received 2 mL of intravenous 0.9% saline at the end of surgery; those in group R received 0.3 mg of intravenous ramosetron at the end of surgery, and those in group DR received 5 mg of intravenous dexamethasone at the induction of anesthesia and 0.3 mg of intravenous ramosetron at the end of surgery