This article reviews a new class of antiemetic agents, the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonists (RAs). Clinical trials of an NK-1 RA, aprepitant, are ongoing.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the major and most distressing adverse effects of cancer chemotherapy. It is treated with various antiemetic regimens, of which one class of drugs is 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonists (5-HT3 RA). Palonosetron, a potent antiemetic, is a second generation 5-HT3 RA. All 5-HT3 antagonists, except palonosetron, have been reporte...

Proanthocyanidin is a phenolic compound present in plants, that has antioxidant, antinociceptive, anti-emetic, and neuroprotective properties. We investigated the actions of proanthocyanidin from grape seeds on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(3) receptors in NCB-20 neuroblastoma cells using a whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Co-treatment of proanthocyanidin (0.3-100 µg/ml) and 3 µM 5-HT (near EC(...

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common and undesirable complaints recorded in as many as 70-80% of high-risk surgical patients. The current prophylactic therapy recommendations for PONV management stated in the Society of Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA) guidelines should start with monotherapy and patients at moderate to high risk, a combination of antiemetic medicatio...

OBJECTIVES Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is an unanswered problem in cancer therapy. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of triple antiemetic therapy with aprepitant, a 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT(3)) receptor antagonist, and dexamethasone in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received carboplatin-based first-line chemotherapy. METHODS Chemotherap...

INTRODUCTION Nausea and vomiting (NV) are common side effects of opioid use and limiting factors in pain management. This study sought to quantify the frequency of antiemetic prescribing and the impact of NV on health care resource utilization and costs in outpatients prescribed opioids for acute pain. The perspective was that of a commercial health plan. METHODS Medical and pharmacy claims f...

BACKGROUND Postoperative nausea and vomiting following anaesthesia and surgery are common and can create considerable problems regarding management of patients and outcome of the surgical procedure. METHODS This study evaluates and compares the efficacy and safety of the metochlopramide to that of prochlorperazine in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after tonsillectomy in y...

BACKGROUND To give prophylactics or timely treatment for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is the question. We compared the intensity and number of disturbing post-operative symptoms (i.e. pain, PONV, headache, fatigue, etc.) after prophylactic antiemetic treatment in a group of patients with >30% risk for post-operative vomiting. METHODS Four hundred and ninety-five patients, from th...